Gate of the Crow
by BelleDayNight
Summary: Death was just the beginning for Itachi. He becomes a Celestial Spirit, equal to the Zodiacs. Team Natsu heads east for a job and runs across Naruto and Sakura's ANBU team in civil war torn Iwagakure as they search for Sasuke. They join forces to defeat an ancient evil that threatens all life. Can they save Sasuke? Can they stop a goddess?
1. Chapter One

**Gate of the Crow**

**Summary: ** Death was just the beginning for Itachi and he becomes a Celestial Spirit, equal in strength to the Zodiacs. Team Natsu heads east for a job and runs across Sakura's ANBU team in a civil war torn Iwagakure as they search for Sasuke. They must join forces to defeat an ancient evil that threatens all life. Can they save Saskue? Can they stop a goddess?

Pairings: Lucy x Natsu, Sakura x Itachi, also Sakura x Sasuke

Beta: Shotgunhero

_Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. _

_Naruto time frame: After manga issue 699._

_Fairy Tail time frame: References up to the Hades arc._

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**Chapter One:**

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Peace. It was all Itachi Uchiha had ever wanted. He was but a small child during the Third Great Ninja War that had claimed so many lives — including that of the Fourth Hokage. Had Minato Namikaze survived, the tragedy that befell the Uchihas might have been avoided. Years later, Itachi died fighting for his village and protecting them as a double agent of the Akatsuki while always making sure that his baby brother was alive and strong.

He had tried to make Sasuke hate him, because he thought that hate made one stronger. That was the Uchiha mentality after all. He was wrong. He had only made his brother full of misdirected rage. An unusual twist of fate brought Itachi back to life, and he was able to help the Allied Shinobi Nations against the threat of his ancestors and Kabuto. He defeated the latter with the assistance of his little brother that he sacrificed so much for. It was the only time they'd fought alongside one another and he cherished the memory.

When Itachi Uchiha had gone to the grave for the second time, it had been done with a clear conscience and a world-weary soul. He'd helped those still living in the world in the Fourth Great Ninja War and would now have his much deserved peace. He had never been one for religion. Though he did believe in the philosophy of Buddhism and he found a certain sense of connection with the beliefs of Shintoism given a ninja's affiliation for the elements. This wasn't the first time he died, so when he left the mortal realm for the second time after he'd done what he could in the war, he fully expected to experience the blissful oblivion of solitude and peace.

What he did not expect was to be standing before a massive presence known as The Spirit King.

"Itachi Uchiha, welcome to the afterlife — again," the Spirit King greeted him. "I am King of the Spirit World!"

This Spirit World King had a mind-blowing amount of chakra and while his bushy beard might have made him appear genial, it seemed more like a broom to sweep up the mess of his meals. Itachi had to wonder just what he ate. The souls of the dead, perhaps?

"Sir," Itachi replied cooly. He stood with a relaxed posture and pushed aside his worries. One does not live their life as a double agent in the most dangerous mercenary group without being able to stand on their own. If this giant creature attacked him, he'd find out its weakness and respond accordingly.

"Your analytical mind is as impressive as I had hoped," the Spirit King said in a booming voice. "I can read your thoughts, Itachi. You have had a hard life, made very difficult choices, and struggled to protect both your village and your loved ones. When your two loyalties were in direct opposition you chose duty and to be honorable. I am here to judge you," the Spirit King declared.

Itachi frowned at the man's words. He was a master at masking his emotions, but his very thoughts? The task was impossible. "Judgment?" Itachi echoed with a raised eyebrow. Thoughts continued to swirl in his mind, ripe for plucking by this mysterious being. He didn't recall being judged by anyone when he died the first time — just peaceful oblivion.

"This is unlike your first death," the Spirit King said, answering Itachi's unspoken thought.

"And what have you found, Spirit King?" Itachi asked.

The massive king began to laugh, the sound shook the very ground, making it difficult to remain standing. "With every generation of man, I see if there was one individual soul that stands out amongst his or her brethren. And that soul is given an opportunity to become a celestial spirit. It has been many centuries since I have found a soul to which I could make this offer, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi calculated his options, thinking many thoughts at once, hoping to confuse the mind-reading deity. He doubted if he could put such a creature into a genjutsu. Most likely a giant fireball wouldn't do him any good either. He was in an unknown environment, so escape might be impossible. "What was so spectacular about my life, that makes you want to extend to me this offer?"

The Spirit King began to laugh again. "So humble. I told you, that I can read your mind, but I can also read your heart. You believe you only did what any capable shinobi would have done. I can tell you that your actions are what saved your world from the tyranny of your uncles. Naruto Uzumaki would have been captured in his youth before his training could be completed if it had not been for you protecting him from the Akatsuki. He, your brother — whom you also spared in that massacre, their female teammate, and their leader — a former teammate of yours while you were in ANBU, were the quartet of ninjas most responsible for ending the Fourth Great Ninja War."

Itachi was proud to hear that his brother was included in the four that had stopped the war. Perhaps they would help usher in the era of peace amongst the shinobi. He thought of Naruto and Sakura — Sasuke's old teammates— along with Kakashi his friend from long ago. He was glad that they had never given up on his wayward little brother. "I am glad to hear of this outcome," Itachi said.

"You have proven yourself time and again as a great protector. My offer to you is to make you into the Celestial Spirit of the Crow. And after all the years of heartbreak, you may cast aside the name of Itachi Uchiha and be known as Reaper.

"A shinigami? A reaper of death?" Itachi asked.

"No, no," the Spirit King said waving aside the idea with a casual flip of his hand. "You will work with a celestial spirit mage in battle. You will continue to protect those around you with your powers. You will become part of the Celestial Spirit World."

"So I will not join the resting home of my ancestors?" Itachi asked. His thoughts went to his mother, father, and best friend Shisui.

The Spirit King shook his head. "No, you will be a protector spirit from now until the end of days. Time between this world and that of the living passes differently."

If that was the case, how much time had already passed between his second death and now? "I must know, is Sasuke still alive?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. And if you associate yourself with a spirit mage, it is possible that you will cross paths with him and his friends again. You will be tied to the life of that mage and his or her timeline."

It would give him a chance to see what sort of life his brother made for himself. However, it was time Itachi stopped living his life for the sake of his little brother. "Do I get to choose this mage?"

"Your key will be very powerful. As in life where you were able to overcome evil influences, if you do not accept your master any contract you make with them will be null and void. This is an unique trait that you will possess. You will be too powerful of a celestial spirit to fall into the hands of a madman. And power breeds madness."

Itachi could agree to that last assessment. He'd seen plenty of powerful shinobi succumb to madness. There had been times when he'd worried about it himself. Clear goals and a well-defined sense of duty kept him from losing his mind. "Do you have a mage in mind then, Spirit King?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. She's a very promising wizard. She already possesses most of the Zodiac Keys. Her spirits love her and consider her a friend. And unlike most spirit mages she values the health of her spirits and doesn't treat them as tools."

"Does she have a name?" Itachi pressed.

"She is a member of the Fairy Tail Guild and her name is Lucy Heartfilia. She and her teammates will soon be facing tribulation on an epic scale and she will need the help of Reaper — the Spirit of Death from the Gate of the Crow," the Spirit King explained.

"I don't suppose she might utilize the assistance of her nearby ninja clans," Itachi murmured.

"You could suggest it to her, but once you see her teammates you might find that unnecessary. Have you made your choice, Itachi?"

"Call me Reaper," Itachi decided.

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_Revised 1/2/16_


	2. Chapter Two

_In Gaul mythology, crows are known as the harbinger of death. In Hinduism, crows are intermediaries that bring offerings to deceased ancestors. In ancient Egypt, the crow was a symbol of faithful love._

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**Chapter Two:**

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In Fiore, a land to the far west of Earthland was the city of Magnolia. It was the home of the Fairy Tail Guild — a family of mages that believed love and friendship were far more important than power and wealth. Within that Guild of talented warriors, Team Natsu was declared the strongest. It was a team of five that consisted of a powerful woman named Titania, a Celestial Spirit Mage with contracts and strong friendships with most of the Zodiacs, an Exceed, and two male rivals — a Fire Dragon Slayer and and an Ice Mage with Demon Slayer abilities. Jobs taken by this team had a one-hundred percent completion rating, but the amount of damages inflicted during the jobs often negated the large payments.

"Trust me, it's going to be fine," Gray promised with a confident smile. He grasped Lucy's wrist and pulled her forcefully towards the stream that ran near the guild hall. He glanced over his shoulder at her and eyed her up and down from her over-sized purple sweater down to her knee-high brown leather boots. "You wore your swimsuit, right?"

"Yes, under my outfit I wore my swimsuit," Lucy scowled. She was nervous about their practice. Juvia was already waiting, looking forward to Gray's request to practice Ice Magic with her, not realizing that he'd meant to include Lucy in their sparring session. "Juvia is expecting a one-on-one practice with you, Gray. She doesn't want me there," Lucy protested. She tried to pulled her arm out of his grip, but Gray merely tightened his hold.

"She already thinks we're rivals for your love. I really don't want her trying to kill me again," Lucy complained, digging her heels into the ground and halting their progress.

"You're my teammate, Lucy. Not her." Gray turned to face Lucy, hooking his finger under her chin to make her look up and meet his navy blue gaze. "Loke says that you're the best Celestial Spirit Mage and that's no small praise coming from the king of the zodiacs considering that he's been around for a long time. But, now you hold a huge responsibility with Aquarius' water powers. You're a member of Fairy Tail's strongest team. You have to learn to master all your abilities." He released her chin and pinched her nose between his thumb and index finger teasingly. "No more arguing. Besides, if you master Water Magic I won't need to team up with Juvia so often. You and I can handle more jobs and it will be even easier to keep up with your rent!"

Lucy brushed away his hand in annoyance. She walked alongside Gray and hoped for the best. At least if Gray was there, Juvia wouldn't actually try to hurt her. She'd be too afraid of disappointing her Gray-sama. It wasn't that Lucy was against learning how to use her new water mage skills, but every time she tried to use them she was reminded of the loss of her oldest friend, Aquarius. At least when she was feeling sad, a rain cloud didn't form over her head.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, her eyes bright with little red hearts as she clasped her hands together over her chest. Her expression darkened immediately upon spying Lucy at Gray's side. "What are you doing here?" she sneered, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Hi Juvia!" Lucy smiled brightly and tried to ignore her friend's anger. "Gray told me about how you are the absolute best with Water Mage magic and that he hoped you could give me some pointers so that I'm not a complete liability to the team."

Juvia's expression softened and she turned to Gray eagerly. "You think I'm the absolute best, Gray-sama?"

Gray nodded solemnly. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with this important mission."

The hearts reappeared in Juvia's eyes. "Well, if it's for you, of course, Gray-sama. Though, I thought you wanted to practice some moves with me for the missions that are best suited for us."

"Ice and Water magic work well together," Gray answered, tugging on his shirt collar nervously. "I was hoping that between the two of us, we could help Lucy become more comfortable with her new abilities."

"And since Natsu is my mission partner, it would be nice if I could help manage some of the damage control against his Fire," Lucy added. "It gets expensive." She thought about her last mission with Natsu. He'd burned down a priceless tapestry while managing to apprehend a trio of dark guild mages that had kidnapped their client's young daughter. The client had been overjoyed about the return of his daughter, but they'd received no payment for their job in order to cover the damages.

Juvia smiled at Gray once more before turning her attention to Lucy. "Okay, rival, not all elemental magic is the same. As you may have noticed Gray-sama creates inanimate objects from his Ice magic while Lyon makes creatures. The same can be true with water. I am made of water, so I do not need a supply of water to make my magic happen. You too are made of water. Humans are composed primarily of the element."

"Um, well, when Aquarius was summoned, she needed to have a water source nearby. I would assume that I would need that as well," Lucy said. She tried not to cringe at imagining herself turning into a puddle of water like she'd seen Juvia do before. It creeped her out.

Juvia tapped her chin thoughtfully and cast a sly look towards Gray. "We should change into swimsuits."

"What? Why?" Lucy panicked. It wasn't that she had a problem wearing a swimsuit, but her and Gray's track records for losing articles of clothing during battle it might be better to start off with more clothing. "I have my swimsuit under my clothes. Isn't that good enough?"

Juvia stripped off her conservative dress and stood in a skimpy pale blue bikini. Lucy caught the curve of Gray's lips. With a sigh, Lucy removed her boots, skirt, and sweater revealing her red bikini. Gray's grin turned wolfish and suddenly his shirt was missing.

"Can you mold the water from the stream?" Juvia asked.

Lucy bit her lip and concentrated. She could feel the presence of the water and she held her hands out in front of her. A sphere of water shifted from the stream to be spun in a ball between her hands. Lucy looked up and met Juvia's critical eye and the water splashed into a huge mess soaking her chest.

Juvia sighed. "This is going to take some time."

Lucy grit her teeth in frustration. It was going to be a long day. A warm hand fell upon Lucy's bare shoulder.

"You ladies keep at it, Gray and I will work on some moves just a little ways away," Loke said with a charming smile. He adjusted his glasses and inspected first Lucy and then Juvia's bikini-clad bodies. "Not too far, mind you."

Gray grabbed Loke's elbow and yanked him away. "Just call when you're ready to practice some Ice-Water combinations."

"Your Lion Spirit is a bit of a pervert," Juvia commented.

"Not so much a pervert as a womanizer. He's a real gentleman when it suits him," Lucy explained. Juvia wasn't part of the Fairy Tail Guild back when Loke masqueraded as a regular human mage. It was weeks after Lucy joined that it was revealed he was a celestial spirit. He was avoiding the Spirit World, worried about the consequences of his former master passing away after he refused to answer her summons. Lucy had intervened on his behalf and begged the Spirit King to forgive Loke. She'd saved his life and he was one of her best friends ever since. Not to mention, he was her strongest Zodiac Spirit — Leo, King of the Zodiacs.

"From what I remember of Aquarius, she mostly just swept away problems in a massive tsunami," Juvia said.

"That's about right," Lucy answered.

"Let's work on refining your aim first then."

The next three hours were spent training. As time progressed, with Gray engaged in a sparring match with Loke and ignoring the two women, Juvia began to focus less on trying to impress Gray and actually on instructing Lucy.

Lucy held up her hand. "I need to take a break," she said. She collapsed onto the water-saturated ground and laid on her back breathing heavily.

Loke approached her while Gray spoke with Juvia to ask about her progress. Lucy barely looked over towards her Zodiac Spirit when he crouched next to her. His lips were pressed tightly together and his eyes were worried behind his glasses.

"Is something wrong?" Lucy asked.

"There has been a surge of celestial power in the Spirit World," Loke answered. "I'm not sure what it means, but with the loss of Aquarius, it could mean that another Celestial Spirit was created."

"Another Aquarius?" Lucy sat up and groaned as a muscle in her mid-back seized up and spasmed.

Loke laid his hand upon her bare back and he began to absently massage the tense muscle. "You're dehydrated," he murmured. "This is why Aquarius always used a nearby source of water. It's too dangerous to attempt Water Magic without a ready supply. If the spell is too great, you might take too much water from your own body." The discomfort eased under his touch. "And no, not like Aquarius. This feels like something different. Like a Zodiac Spirit, but not." He rubbed his brow with his free hand. "I don't know."

"You should go check it out then," Lucy encouraged. She glanced towards Juvia and Gray. The Water Mage currently had her hands on Gray's shoulders and was leaning close. The tips of Gray's ears were bright red.

"I'm not really sure I should leave you alone with those two," Loke said, following her gaze. He moved his hand away fro Lucy's back.

"I've had enough practice. I'm heading home anyway." Lucy stood and brushed a few blades of grass off the back of her legs and then slipped back on her skirt and sweater.

"Want me to walk you home?" Loke asked.

"That would be excellent," Lucy agreed. She picked up her boots and frowned. Her wet skin was going to ruin the leather.

"Why don't I carry you?" Loke offered. Before Lucy could protest, he swept her into his arms. She let out a little cry of surprise and fumbled her boots until she had them pressed against her chest.

"Hey Gray! I'm taking Lucy home!" Loke called out before breaking into a run towards the residential portion of the city, ignoring Gray's shout to wait.

Lucy clutched onto the front of Loke's green fur-lined jacket, keeping the boots as a barrier between her boobs and his chest. It was kind of nice and chivalrous to be carried back to her apartment. Though, it would have been nice if maybe a boyfriend had carried her and not her womanizing Celestial Spirit.

Lucy was exhausted both physically and mentally by the time Loke dropped her off outside of her apartment. He popped back into the Spirit World and she trudged inside her front door. Her clothes were soaking wet and her hair clung to her face in drenched tangles. She dumped her boots next to the entrance and closed and locked the door behind her. She marched straight toward her bed with every intention of going straight to sleep.

At least that was the plan, until she realized her bed was occupied.

"What are you doing?" Lucy demanded, gripping her pillow and hitting her intruder on the head with it. "Get out!"

Natsu laid stretched out on his back on top of her bed. He caught the pillow, opened his dark eyes, and frowned. "Why are you all wet?" He set aside the pillow and scratched the back of his head, mussing his pink hair.

"Training session," Lucy answered tiredly. "What are you doing in my apartment? In my bed?"

"Your apartment is so much cleaner than mine," he said. "And Happy is with Wendy and Carla and I was bored. I thought I'd just take a nap and wait for you to come home."

"Okay." Lucy sat on the edge of her bed and cradled her head in her hands. She had a terrible headache forming at her temples. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up next week. "How did you get in here?"

"The chimney," Natsu said. He sat up, yanked off Lucy's over-sized sweater, and tossed it to the floor where it landed in a wet plop. Lucy squealed in surprise as a chill rushed over her damp skin. Natsu laid his hands on Lucy's bare shoulders and warmth washed over her body drying her skin. "You need to take care of yourself."

"Hmm," Lucy murmured laying back on her bed, not caring that she wore only her bikini and a slightly damp miniskirt. She closed her eyes. "Just don't hog the covers. I'm too tired to kick you out."

Natsu picked up the discarded pillow and set it under Lucy's head. He then reached for the pink comforter and wrapped it around their bodies. His elevated body temperature quickly heated up the cocoon he'd formed around Lucy and she fell into an exhausted slumber.

"Sure thing, Lucy," he agreed.

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**OoO**

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Far to the east of Earthland was home to the Five Great Shinobi Countries. The villages of Rock, Sand, Leaf, Cloud, and Mist had in recent years allied together in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Three years had passed since the defeat of the Akatsuku mercenary band and their leaders Madara and Obito Uchiha.

Sakura reached up and adjusted her ANBU mask. It was really quite useless for her to wear it. Just how many pink haired kunoichi were there in Konoha? It wasn't like her identity was truly hidden. She glanced to her side to where her teammates Naruto and Sai kneeled next to her. Naruto's identity was just as obvious as hers with his bright yellow blond hair.

They were waiting for the Hokage, who was late as usual, to present their report. It had been twenty minutes since they had started kneeling before his desk. Sakura suspected that he did this to them purposely. An exercise in patience that was only serving to annoy his former teammates. Shikamaru leaned against the far wall looking impatient as he kept stealing glances at his wrist watch and sighing repeatedly.

Eventually, the back door to the office opened and Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, stumbled out with his nose stuck in a dog-eared copy of Icha Icha Tactics. "Oh, hey, I didn't realize you had already arrived." He smiled at them, his matching charcoal gray eyes crinkled at the corners while the rest of his face was hidden behind his ever present black mask.

Naruto grunted, Sai remained silent, and Sakura glared at him with all the annoyance she could muster in her gaze. Kakashi met her eyes and visibly swallowed. He snapped shut his book and shoved it into the inside pocket of his Hokage robes. "Just trying to keep it light. Carry on our tradition. I had to help an old feeble woman cross the street."

Shikamaru snorted.

"I did! Lady Tsunade was quite drunk. If I hadn't helped her she might have passed out on the street!" Kakashi protested.

"Our mission went as expected," Sakura stated, ignoring Kakashi's blatant lie. She knew for a fact that Lady Tsunade was at the hospital on her afternoon rounds. She held out the mission report she'd written that morning. Sai had sent Kakashi a preliminary report four nights before as they made their return trek from the northeastern border of Lightning back to Konoha.

"Very good," Kakashi said, taking the scroll from her hand without bothering to read it. He handed it to Shikamaru, who sighed again and then read through it. "You can stand," he said, gesturing for them to rise.

Sakura rose smoothly to her feet, ignoring the uncomfortable pins and needles sensation from sitting in the same position for so long. Kakashi leaned against the edge of his desk and peered at them, his hand reaching for the book inside his robes.

"Has there been any word?" Naruto asked, his voice laced with impatience.

Kakashi shook his head and brought his hand back to his side. "Not since the sighting six months ago at the far western provinces of the Earth Country. Though, it's been chaotic there since the death of the Tsuchikage."

Sakura's hand fisted against her thigh. Sasuke had left the village a couple of months after the conclusion of the great war with a clean slate and a new forehead protector. He'd apologized to her and Naruto and promised that he'd return home soon. During the month long interlude when he had been reintroduced to Konoha and they'd gone on several dates. She thought that maybe they'd finally be the couple she'd always dreamed of. Then he'd left to atone for his sins. She'd received a couple of letters his first year away, but nothing since.

"Now, who's interested in joining me for a dinner at Ichiraku Ramen?" Kakashi asked.

"Great idea, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted enthusiastically.

"He's just trying to get a free meal out of us," Sakura grumbled. Kakashi smiled at her words, validating her suspicion.

"You are well-paid, high-ranking ANBU," Kakashi pointed out. "Put on some civilian clothes. I'll meet you there." He vanished from his office with a puff of smoke.

Shikamaru groaned. "I hate when he does that. I already saw to it that your pay was deposited in your respective banks." He looked at his watch again. "Temari will be waiting for me at home. Take tomorrow to recuperate and I'll see you in two days with your next assignment."

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_Revised 1/2/16_


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three:**

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It was an unusual land compared to any that Itachi had visited during his mortal life. There were areas of lush green forest with crystal clear streams that reminded him of Konoha. The trees in this foreign land were much taller and much older than the ones from his youth. The sky was usually blue, but today it was a pale amethyst color. Colorful wildflowers blanketed the hills and if he were to run his fingertips over the pedals, the flowers would transform into butterflies and flutter away. It was just so pretty, and while he preferred the dark colors of black and crimson, he could appreciate the rich variety of colors in the foreign land.

He spent most of his time in this tranquil region of forestland. Everywhere he went crows followed, never far away. They served as his familiars. Through their eyes, he could see kilometers into the distance and unlike mortal crows, these could see in color. Strange creatures roamed the land that he'd only read about when he was a young boy in one of Shisui's old illustrated children's books. Fauns with their golden fur-lined lower goat-like bodies, human torsos, and heads with tiny horns played music on their flutes in the distance and danced amongst the trees and fields of flowers.

At least half of the trees were tree-nymphs. Willowy women that transformed into trees. The springs led to a great lagoon that was full of mermaids and mermen. He watched as they played games and leapt above the water's surface doing flips with the rainbow scales of their lower bodies catching the sun's light. When he first arrived near the stream, he sensed a somber atmosphere around the mer-people. Since his arrival, it was as if a dark cloud lifted and they began to play. He envied their frivolity.

He concentrated on communicating with his crow familiars. While he was stuck in this strange land, perhaps they would be able to pass the barrier between the Spirit World and the mortal human world. Four crows had flown off in the cardinal directions looking for a passage between the worlds. So far, they had brought him nothing, but more images of the Spirit World and creatures of the likes he'd never even imagined.

Itachi felt no hunger and no thirst. Breathing was a simple matter and his lungs were no longer constricted by the scar tissue and disease that had plagued him the last decade of his life. He could hear the shifting of grass behind him. Using the observations of his familiars, he watched as a man with fiery orange hair, blue glasses, and a black suit approached. The crows whispered in Itachi's mind. _King_ _of_ _the Zodiacs_.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Itachi watched him closely. This King of the Zodiacs didn't appear hostile. "Suit yourself," Itachi answered. He turned his attention back to the fauns across the stream, while using his familiars to keep their attention on the newcomer.

"It has been a long time since the Spirit King created a new Celestial Spirit. You must have been someone special." He held out his hand. "I'm Leo, King of the Zodiacs. You can call me Loke, if you like."

Itachi turned his head towards Leo and eyed his hand warily. He sensed no threat, but he didn't shake his hand. It was a foreign custom he never cared for - too much disease could be spread through such casual touch. With his weak lungs in life, it hadn't been worth the risk. "Reaper."

Leo's eyebrows arched up in surprise. "Your parents named you Reaper?" He retracted his hand slowly and rubbed his palm over the thigh of his pants leg.

Itachi chuckled in genuine amusement, the sensation rarely felt in recent years. Usually he reserved his laughter for unnerving opponents. "No, they did not. It is my current name though given to me by the Spirit King."

"Ah, don't want to talk about your old life. That's understandable. Most of us don't remember much about our mortal lives," Leo said. He looped his arms around one of his knees and followed Itachi's gaze towards the fauns. The hoofed creatures continued their music, though many had stopped dancing, and were now lounging against the trees.

"I remember everything." Itachi closed his eyes briefly and ignored the lump of emotion that rose up in his throat. His life had been scarred by countless tragedy, but the idea of forgetting about who he was and why he sacrificed so much was truly frightening. Suffering had become part of his identity.

"Aries, she's another Zodiac, noticed you've been in this area for the past couple of days. Said you hadn't moved much. Are you hungry?" Leo held out his hand and an assortment of nuts and berries were gathered in his palm.

"I feel no hunger here." Itachi glanced towards the mer-people, but since Leo's arrival they'd dived back under the water's surface. "Time runs different between here and the human world." The question was how different. With his Tsukiyomi he had manipulated time for his victims. What felt like years of torture would pass for them, while in reality only seconds to minutes would have elapsed.

Leo waved his hand and the food vanished. "One time, my human mage and her companions were brought here for a celebration. They had three months to train for a great tournament, but after only a few hours spent here, they only had three days left for preparations in their world."

That would be problematic if he had hopes of reuniting with Sasuke or at least checking on his little brother's progress. "Is it possible to wander the human world without a contract and unbidden?"

"So far, I am the only one who has managed such a feat," Leo confessed. "Some of my fellow Zodiacs have been able to summon themselves to the human world when our contractual Celestial Spirit Mage was in danger."

Perhaps his familiars wouldn't be able to find their way into the human world until he'd been summoned. "Were there consequences to remaining in the human world?" Itachi's crows spotted the arrival of two others, slightly inferior in strength to Leo. One was a giant bull with a huge axe balanced across his shoulder and the other a pink-haired woman in a maid's uniform with chains shackled upon her wrists.

"After a while my essence started to fade. I had been afraid to return to the Spirit World and face the Spirit King. He can be a rather intimidating guy." Leo glanced over his shoulder. "Do you mind if some of my friends join us?"

"Why were you afraid to face the King?" The Spirit King had been intimidating, but he hadn't seemed malicious. "Had you broken a law?"

Leo's eyes were downcast and he took a deep breath to steady himself. "I made it so my contractual human mage wasn't able to call more spirits to help her in battle. She was cruel to her spirits and treated them without respect. She considered us slaves rather than allies."

Itachi thought about Lord Danzo and of his own father, the Head of the Uchiha clan. They both treated their subordinates as tools and had both been murdered for their actions. Sasuke's defeat of the Root leader was the best thing he could have done for Konoha. At least some good had come from his brother's madness.

"Some people must die, so that others may live," Itachi said. He stood, rising in one fluid motion, his dark cloak billowed behind him. This Leo might prove to be a useful ally if Itachi were to find a way back to the mortal world. "I will meet these friends of yours, but not here. Let us leave these creatures to their merriment."

Leo glanced towards the mer-people, whom had returned to the lagoon's surface to play more games.. "I am glad to see they no longer mourn the loss of Aquarius so keenly. For the last few days, they have sung their songs of melancholy."

They started towards the outer border of the forested area where the other Zodiacs waited. A pink haired woman with ram horns had joined the other pair. Were all the female celestial spirits pink haired? He only knew of one person with pink hair before - the female on Sasuke's genin team. "Who is Aquarius?"

"Queen of the mer-people. She recently sacrificed herself in battle in order to summon the Spirit King to the human world. I think because of her loss, the Spirit King was able to offer you such power to keep the spiritual energy balanced." Leo looked Itachi up and down with an appraising eye. "You might just have more spirit energy than me."

.

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* * *

**OoO**

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.

The Zodiac Spirits prepared a banquet for Itachi. While he wasn't hungry, the food and drinks were delicious. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that while food was unnecessary, it could still be enjoyed. He realized the Spirit World had nearly infinite spirits aside from the Zodiacs. A young woman named Lyra played the harp and sang soothing music throughout the meal. Strange white dog-like creatures with golden horn noses scampered about his feet carrying trays filled with more food.

"You should let me style your hair, Ebi," Cancer, the crab-like spirit offered. He sat catty-corner to Itachi at the long table. He eagerly snapped several pairs of scissors in his hands. Itachi resisted the urge to pat down his hair and reassure himself that his long hair was still intact.

"Don't mind him." Virgo, the maiden, placed another goblet of wine in front of Itachi. "He prides himself on his styling skills. It's his way of expressing his hospitality." She sat across from Itachi, her chains jingling with the movement. "What do you think of the Spirit World, Reaper?"

"It's crowded," Itachi answered. He wasn't a wine enthusiast, but even he could appreciate the deep, rich flavor of his drink. His gaze swept across the banquet table. Everyone, save a man with half red and half white hair and a scorpion tail, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Itachi had been perceptive to the pain of others during life, but since the introduction to his new spiritual existence, he could sense when the weight of death lingered around someone. The scorpion had a dark aura around him even greater than what haunted the mer-people.

Leo leaned close to Itachi's ear on his right. "He's Aquarius' boyfriend, Scorpio," Leo explained. "She could be a difficult woman, but to him she was the most devoted and loving girlfriend. He has taken her loss very hard."

"What happens to a spirit that dies?" Itachi asked quietly.

"No one knows," Aries answered. "Well, I mean, I'm sure the Spirit King knows, but no one dares ask him."

"So are you all bound to the same Spirit Mage?" Itachi scanned the table once more taking account of the number of Zodiac spirits. Each possessed traits of their namesakes - Leo, Aries, Virgo, Taurus, Gemini, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Cancer, and Scorpio.

"Lucy held the contract to ten of the Zodiacs," Leo said. "Aquarius was her mother's key and Lucy's first contract." He started to shred the roll of bread on his plate. "Most of us found her after she defeated our previous masters. I was actually part of her guild, masquerading as a human."

Itachi recognized the name from his conversation with the Spirit King. Though, if she was the kind girl these spirits claimed her to be, he doubted she'd have much use for a harvester of death like him. "And the other Zodiacs? There are twelve."

"Yukino Aguria of Sabertooth is a great friend and ally to Lucy," Scorpio said from his end of the table. It was the first time since meeting him that Itachi heard the somber man speak. "She has three Zodiacs, bringing the number of Zodiac spirits to thirteen."

"Yukino has contracts with Pisces, Libra, and Ophiuchus," Leo said. "Ophiuchus is a mystery to us. So, you see, you aren't the only scary new key." Leo shuddered and ran his hands up and down his arms. "Ophiuchus is a giant serpent with fangs longer than even Taurus!"

"My suggestion to you, Reaper, is to seek out Crumudgeon. He goes by Crux. He sleeps a lot these days, but he's very old and very knowledgable. If you have any questions, he would be your best resource," Aries suggested.

"Thank you," Itachi said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. The ram's cheeks burned bright pink and she ducked her head to the side to avoid his eyes.

Virgo braced her elbows against the table and leaned towards Itachi. "Your eyes are fascinating, Reaper. They burn with a crimson light with a kaleidoscope of onyx in constant rotation."

Itachi closed his eyes and felt the familiar chakra drain of his Sharingan. He shut down his bloodline gift and when he opened his eyes again they were a dark onyx. "Better?"

Virgo frowned. "There was nothing wrong, just interesting." She shrugged and then leaned back. "If you tire of those depressing clothes I can create a lovely wardrobe for you." She turned to Taurus. "I have holes to dig, will you assist?"

Taurus pushed back his chair and lifted his axe. "Let's moooooove it."

Leo tugged on his shirt sleeves. He wore a dark, elegantly tailored suit. "You should take Virgo up on her offer for a wardrobe. She can make apparel that will cause even the most spoiled prince or princess to be jealous with envy."

"It is not my mission to make envious royals," Itachi said, crinkling his nose and thinking about the daimyo's spoiled children. He felt a strange tugging sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Leo was suddenly alert. "I think you're being summoned," he explained, clapping his hand over Itachi's shoulder. "Remember, when you make a contract, you must be very specific. Consider even the most minute details. Good luck!"

As Itachi entered the mysterious void, Leo's words rang hollow in his mind.

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* * *

**OoO**

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.

"Open Gate of the Crow — Spirit of Death — Reaper!" a voice called out. Itachi felt himself shift dimensions. His body transformed from his human form into a murder of crows. A hooded figure stood in a wasteland with ash covering the ground below him and blackened trees charcoaled by some recent fire. The man held an onyx key — obviously not the girl mage Lucy he had been told about.

The crows assembled themselves and Itachi stood before a tall, pale man. Itachi resumed the form he had as a human shinobi of the Leaf. However, instead of his black and red cloud Akatsuki robes, he wore a plain black cloak. His underclothes were the same fishnet and black that he wore in life, including the three circle necklace from Shisui he used to wear.

"You called?" Itachi asked in a bland, emotionless tone.

"I wish to make a contract with you, Reaper," the pale man said. He pushed back his hood with thin, boney fingers withered with age. His pale gray eyes sunk deep into his face.

"No contract," Itachi said firmly. "What would you have me do? I may do it without the necessity of a contract." He communicated silently with his familiars that had followed him into the human world. The four that he had sent to explore the Spirit World remained there, but plenty more had followed him into this world during his summons. He sent four more out in search of his brother, Sasuke.

"I need to have you destroy these abominations," the man said gesturing around him.

Itachi observed the field and was mildly impressed by the amount of undead creatures surrounding them. Most seemed to be humans long dead with stark white bones and gray flesh sloughing off. Some were crawling, some were staggering, and others were tearing apart a herd of goats along unblemished sides of a nearby mountain sparred from the ravages of a recent fire. "What are these things?"

"A problem, Reaper. I need you to drag them back to hell." The old man hacked a phlegmy cough and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. A trickle of blood fell from the corner of his mouth.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. What were the limits of his new powers as a celestial spirit? His name was Reaper, surely he could reap them. They didn't appear to be alive, but they were still moving. "Are they undead?"

"Yes, they are undead. Now make them dead-dead!" the man cried, coughing once more. He waved his hand in front of his nose. "Blast this smoke!"

"Did you draw them here?" Itachi asked as the creatures continued to close the distance between them and the pale man that would be his master.

"They are going to kill me!" the man pleaded.

"All right," Itachi said. He broke apart to form a murder of crows again. He penetrated the hearts of the creatures, but nothing happened. They continued to stagger on.

"Their heads!" the man shouted impatiently.

Itachi resisted the urge to knock off the old man's head. He directed his attacks to penetrate the undead creatures' skulls, hitting on where their frontal lobe would have been. That seemed to work. As soon as they were attacked, the creatures hit the ground in a pile of useless, fragmented bones and rotting flesh. He then focused on the undead that were attacking the goats. Most of the animals were ripped to pieces, but a few survived.

The pale man fell to the ground and clutched at his heart. Itachi reformed in front of him. He could see a dark aura about the man. The shroud of death? It was different than the dark aura that had been around the mer-people and Scorpio.

A great chill fell upon the air. Itachi looked up to see a creature with dark wings stand before him with a massive amount of chakra that made his old teammate Kisame seem pathetic.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked.

"I have come to collect," the creature said.

"Who are you?" He was almost certain the Angel of Death stood before him — a shinigami of unimaginable power. There weren't other beings he could think of that would have large feathered wings and yet appear humanoid. The Tengu were more canine-like in form.

"You know who I am," Death answered, his voice was like a resonant echo in a great cave.

"I don't think I'm going to let you take him just yet. I went through a great deal of trouble to stop these undead creatures from killing him," Itachi said. He drew his sword from the scabbard across his back. He wasn't sure where the sword came from, because it hadn't been there a moment ago. It was almost an exact replica of the sword he had in life.

The dark angel before him also drew a sword and mirrored Itachi's fighting stance. "Who are you to stop Death?"

"I'm the Reaper," Itachi said.

The dark angel put his sword back into his sheath, seemingly uninterested in fighting now. "Reaper. We will meet again," he promised. He looked down at the pale man clutching his chest. "He doesn't have long, even if he doesn't die now."

Itachi followed Death's gaze. His eyes used a power different from the Sharingan and he could see the cancer raging within the man, corrupting the very marrow of his bones. "No, but he doesn't have to die yet." He looked back up at Death and swallowed nervously. The shinigami's essence was a chaotic depth of intensity that stretched eternal — before and after time began. The Spirit King was an intimidating presence, but Death was terrifying.

"Very well, for now I will heed your request," Death said before he vanished in a swirl of black feathers.

"What did I get myself into?" Itachi wondered as he helped the pale, sickly man to his feet.

.

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_Revised 1/2/16_


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four:**

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"A toast to the Hokage and his personal ANBU team!" Naruto cheered, holding out a cup of sake.

Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi touched their cups against his. "Kampai!"

Sakura drank with her teammates and then set aside her cup to focus on her bowl of ramen. Her gaze drifted towards Naruto's prosthetic right arm. He used his right hand with ease and not for the first time, she wondered if Sasuke was as adept with his prosthetic arm. He'd left the village shortly after Tsunade had fitted it for him.

"When I put this team together, it was only to last for four years serving as liaisons to the other hidden ninja villages. Three of those years are up," Kakashi said. He pointed his chopsticks at Naruto. "You need to start your training for the role of Hokage." He then angled his chopsticks at Sakura. "And Tsunade wants to teach you about running the hospital full time." And finally, he angled his chopsticks at Sai. "And I recommend you start planning that wedding of yours with Ino before she becomes violent."

All three of them groaned. It wasn't that Sakura wasn't looking forward to working at the hospital full time. It was her ultimate goal, but she wasn't quite ready to settle down to such a routine life. For the past three years, their ANBU team had helped their allied shinobi villages search for rebel factions that weren't pleased with the alliance. Sakura had taught both Naruto and Sai non-lethal methods of taking out their opponents. They would use pressure points to render an opponent helpless. With Naruto's speed, most of the opposition would be out cold before Sakura or Sai even arrived on scene.

"Okay, but we have a whole other year," Naruto pointed out. "And I'm not spending it stuck here babysitting a bunch of genin while they chase cats in some lame D-class mission."

"As I recall, those missions were quite a challenge for you," Kakashi teased. He cleared his throat. "I intend for you to spend that time in Earth helping with their civil war and tracking down any leads on Sasuke," Kakashi answered.

"Really?" Naruto asked, his voice bubbled with excitement. He pumped his fist into the air. "Great!"

After his third bowl of ramen, Naruto excused himself to head towards the Hyuga compound. He and Hinata had a moderate sized-house amongst the Hyuga clan. Hinata would be overjoyed to learn that Naruto would soon be home permanently. She was currently three months pregnant — a souvenir of their last visit home.

"Shall I walk home with you, Hag?" Sai asked politely. Sakura kicked him in the shin. "Sakura," he corrected.

"No, thanks," Sakura said with a smile. "I think Ino would like to spend a little time with you. I'll see you later."

"If you're sure," Sai said with his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

Sakura shared a two bedroom apartment with Ino. However, since Ino and Sai started dating, it felt like she was intruding on their privacy. She spent most of her days on the road with Naruto and Sai. It seemed a little cruel that even when they were home, she still couldn't get any privacy from them.

"I'll see to it that she gets home safely," Kakashi promised.

Sai nodded and then hurried out of the ramen shop.

"He worries about you," Kakashi said, once it was just him and Sakura at the table. "We all do."

"I don't need you to worry about me. I can take care of myself," Sakura grumbled. She finished off the rest of the sake in her cup and used the carafe to pour more.

"And you learned from the best. Tsunade taught you more than just how to handle your drink," Kakashi agreed. "Family worries about each other. We're family, Sakura."

She sighed and set down her cup untouched. She looked across at Kakashi's dark, concerned gaze. "It's just hard. Naruto and Sai are both moving on. When our mission as your special liaisons is over, they have someone to return to. Me? I'm just waiting. I don't even know why I'm waiting. He's not coming back."

Kakashi sighed. "Love is a funny thing," he said. "Even if the one you love is gone, the loving them doesn't stop."

Sakura stared down at her empty bowl of ramen. It was selfish to talk about loss to Kakashi. He'd lost everyone important to him — his parents, teacher, and best friends.

Kakashi reached out and grasped Sakura's shoulder and squeezed her gently. "There's no need for such a guilty expression. I haven't lost everyone that I love." He smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Now, let's stop feeling sorry for ourselves. You're not the one with your face carved into the side of a mountain." He cringed. "For generations people will point and wonder about the fish lips I have hidden under my mask."

Sakura burst out laughing, remembering a misadventure in her genin days with Sasuke and Naruto as they tried to discover the face Kakashi hid under his mask.

"It's just, I thought that after the war, when Sasuke was back, that he would stay back." She picked up her cup of sake and sipped at it.

"I suggest you go easy on that," Kakashi said, gesturing towards the cup. "You only have a day to rest. You'll be heading for Iwagakure the day after tomorrow."

Sakura sat the cup back on the table, the alcohol sloshed over the sides. "Walk me home?"

"Of course," Kakashi agreed. "After all, you are my favorite student."

Kakashi escorted Sakura to her apartment. She hurried past Ino's bedroom and went straight to her own room at the end of the hall. She tried to ignore Ino's quiet giggles through the wall and Sai's deep chuckle. It was nice that her friends were happy, but it often made her own loneliness worse.

Sakura opened her desk drawn and pulled out an old, worn letter. It was from Sasuke. He'd sent to her six months after he had been away from Konoha the second time.

'_Sakura,_

_Hi. I'm not very good with words. You know that. I don't want you to think the reason I left this time was because of you. It wasn't because of Naruto or Kakashi. Some bonds can never be severed and I regret that I spent so much time trying to destroy ours. I hope you're doing well. You are so strong now and I am proud of who you have become. I've been heading west towards Iwagakure. The land here is pretty barren compared to home. I miss the green — and I don't mean the trees. _

_I will return. Please, be patient with me._

_Forever in your debt, Sasuke.'_

Sakura carefully folded the letter and placed it back inside her desk. She turned off her lamp and crawled into her covers. And not for the first time, she soaked her pillow with tears before she finally drifted off into sleep.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Lucy stared down at the brown leather book with the golden image of a large family tree embossed across the front cover. The librarian of the Magnolia Town Public Library had sent her a message that the book she'd requested had arrived. With an eager step, Lucy hurried towards an empty table in the far corner of the third floor with the book clutched in her arms.

She didn't know much about her mother's side of the family. Growing up, she'd always been raised to appreciate the Heartfilias and the power such a noble family possessed. However, her mother was the celestial spirit mage. She was the one whom Lucy favored in both looks, talent, and personality. Aquarius had served as the link between Lucy and her lost mother. The mermaid had been her mother's celestial spirit and Lucy's childhood friend. And now she was gone. Lucy felt the mermaid's absence keenly, especially since she still possessed Aquarius' powers over water. It had been a consolation gift from the Spirit King, but she'd have preferred her friend.

She stared at the name on the front cover of the genealogy tree. _Namikaze._

The book had details dating back five centuries. She found her own name as the last entry in the book, her mother's written right before. _Layla Namikaze Heartfilia._

"There you are!" Natsu's loud, exuberant voice echoed throughout the third floor of the library. The librarian and several patrons glared at him in unison with a mixture of shushes and annoyed sighs as responses. Of course, Natsu ignored them all and ran towards Lucy. Happy trailed after him with his white wings flapping lazily.

"Try to keep it down, Natsu. This is a library," Lucy pointed out patiently. She opened the book from the front to see what it said about her first known ancestor. They were from a distant region to the east of the Pergrande Kingdom.

Happy landed on the table and peered down at the book, his blue cat-face scrunched up in disinterest. "This looks boring. You should read a story about fish! Did you know there are hundreds of different types in the ocean? And I'm sure there are hundreds more in the lakes and rivers!"

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked, sitting in the chair across from her and propping his feet on the table. His arms were folded behind his head and he stared up at the ceiling. "No one is here. It's like everyone is out doing exciting missions and we're stuck here." He gestured towards the others in the library. "With the civilians."

"I'm researching about my mother's side of the family," Lucy explained, keeping her voice at a whisper.

The librarian walked over towards the table with another book in her arms. "Here's the other book you requested, Lucy." She smiled patiently at Natsu as she set the book next to Lucy. "And if you could keep your voice down, Mr. Dragneel." She gave his elevated feet a pointed look.

"Yeah, sure," Natsu agreed, his feet sliding to the floor. He waited until the librarian walked away before he picked up the second book. "Water magic? Why are you studying this? Can't you just ask Juvia for some tips?"

"I don't want to bother her. She helped me some, but her magic is different than mine," Lucy answered. She'd rather give up the magic, if it meant she could have Aquarius back. She'd asked Loke about making such an offer to the Spirit King, but he'd said it was impossible. The death of a celestial spirit was permanent. Now, Lucy was worried about calling forth any of her spirits. She didn't want to endanger anyone.

"I can light some fires and you can practice putting them out," Natsu offered. He began to flip through the pages of the water magic book.

"Tempting," Lucy murmured. She studied the first few generations of her ancestors. The common trait amongst them was bright blond hair. Though, it seemed that the majority of her ancestors had blue eyes and not brown, but then she had her father's eyes. She continued to flip through the generations. About two centuries ago, her mother's side of the family had immigrated to Fiore.

She looked up to see that Natsu was reading her genealogy book upside down. "My mother's family was from the Fire Country in the far east," he said quietly.

Lucy stared at him in stunned silence. He never talked about his human parents. She didn't think he even remembered them after having been raised predominantly by Igneel.

"She used to tell me stories about the Hidden Leaf Village, where certain people had the ability to create fire and lightning by organizing their hands in certain patterns." Natsu looked up, his dark eyes serious. "How's your rent?"

"I'm covered for at least six months," Lucy answered. "Our last job with Gray and Erza was really profitable, especially so, since we were able to keep the majority of the money. You and Gray should try more often not to inflict too much collateral damage. That's why I'm here in the library, instead of stressing out at the job request board in the guild hall."

Natsu grinned. "Give me and Happy a couple of hours. We're going to ask Master Makarov if he knows of any jobs that might send us to Pergrande Kingdom. Then afterwards, we could continue east! Maybe we can track down our relatives!"

The idea was exciting! If they could find a mission in Pergrande Kingdom, their passage there would be paid for by the job. That would put them very close to the far east countries of their ancestors. "Do you know what your mother's maiden name was?" Lucy asked.

Natsu scratched the back of his head, tussling his unruly pink hair, and closed his eyes in concentration, his brow furrowed. "Haruno, I think. She had a brother, Uncle Kizashi, but I never met him." He shrugged. "She used to tell me stories when I was very young before I went to bed. I don't remember much though."

Lucy was impressed that he remembered that much. "While you speak with Master Makarov, I'll ask the librarian if there are any books about the Fire Country in the east."

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_Revised 1/2/16_


	5. Chapter Five

_Crows live in large, close-knit families, and, like social mammals, they not only hunt and forage together but also defend territories and care for the young together._

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

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The land was dry and arid. Mountains stretched high into the sky, trapping the hot air and not allowing cooler air to circulate. Itachi's crows were dispersed and he could see the activity of the region. Death was everywhere.

"What has become of this country?" Itachi asked. "Surely, not much time has passed since the alliance amongst the shinobi nations."

"Only a few years," the old necromancer said. He coughed, an unhealthy rattle deep in his lungs. He would not live long with his current health. "Civil War has broken out amongst the citizens of Earth. The Tsuchikage died and while he recommended his granddaughter for the role, many don't feel she's old enough or has enough experience. And that's not even taking into account the fact that she's a woman."

Itachi frowned. "The leader of Konoha is a strong woman. The Mizukage is also a woman."

The necromancer looked at Itachi incredulously. "Are you talking about Princess Tsunade? She retired as soon as the war was over. She's spends most of her time drinking herself into oblivion."

"I would think she might dedicate herself to the hospital," Itachi said quietly. He didn't know Tsunade well, but he had respected her skills. He suspected that if she hadn't left the village after the Third War, she might have been around to offer him a treatment for his lung condition. She might have been a drunk, but she was a brilliant healer. And besides, it wasn't like she slaughtered her entire clan — what did she have to be so depressed about?

"Still this is the best place for old bones like mine."

"Why is that?"

"The dry, arid air of the mountains is the only thing prolonging this miserable life of mine," the necromancer said with a smile that turned more into a grimace. "There is dark magic brewing in this region, taking advantage of the bloodshed of the civil war."

"Is that what you were doing? Trying to take advantage of the spoils of war?" Itachi asked. "Who are you?"

The necromancer shook his head. "No, I'm trying to stop her." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I was once known as Aedan. I have been in this land for the past three years trying to learn what I could of this place. I have to stop her."

"Stop who?"

"She's been feeding off this land since the Third Great Ninja War," the necromancer continued. A shudder passed through his frail body. "As she once fed upon my country, she does so again here. The dark goddess especially craves the blood of shinobi from the Hidden Leaf — always has since she first sampled it years ago," he said.

Itachi stiffened. He remembered the excessive violence he often faced as a member of ANBU whenever he squared off against Rock ninja.

"She's chosen a new vessel — a youth with so much pain and darkness, that she's stronger than ever."

Itachi felt his stomach twist. "Does this vessel have a name?"

"They call him Hawk."

"Why are you in particular trying to stop this dark goddess?" Itachi asked. "Why do you think you can make a difference?"

The old man rubbed his hand over his lips worriedly. "Because, I was her vessel before — centuries ago in a land to the far west of here. No one knows her better than I." He clutched onto Itachi's robbed arm. "Please, Reaper, you must stop her!"

Itachi opened his mind to the images his scouting crows projected towards him. Aedan was right. This land was saturated in blood and death. He wasn't certain how long he could remain on earth of his own volition now that his spirit was linked to a magical key.

He would endure and do whatever he could. Whether or not he met the golden haired mage Loke spoke of, he cared not. Itachi was a shinobi and had a mission. He ordered his crows to continue into the distance with the mission to find the man known as Hawk.

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* * *

**OoO**

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"Do you suppose we might stop soon?" Sai asked.

Sakura scanned the horizon. They still had a good hour of sunlight left before they needed to make camp. She looked over her two teammates. Both men looked like they were dead on their feet. She smirked. "Well, perhaps if you two hadn't been quite so enthusiastic in your reunions with your significant others you wouldn't be so tired."

"Oh, come on, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined. "That is not fair! Do you know how much grief I got from Hiashi from getting Hinata pregnant and then having the gall to be off on special missions for the Hokage? Bolt is due in three months and I was threatened very thoroughly by my sister-in-law that if I'm not there in time for the birth…well…I don't even want to repeat it."

"I'm pretty sure both Hiashi and Hanabi are going to give you flak regardless," Sakura said, feeling no sympathy for her best friend. "I will do my best to make sure we're home in time for the birth." She pointed an accusing finger at Sai. "And you should have gone to bed at a decent time. I heard you and Ino until four in the morning!"

Sai's pale cheeks reddened and he rubbed the back of his neck. "We did attempt to be quiet."

Sakura touched her hand over her chest. "We're all ninja! I heard everything! I eventually had to go and sleep on the roof because you two were too loud!" She shoved Sai on the shoulder. "Do you know how uncomfortable it is to sleep on the roof?"

"About as uncomfortable as sleeping in the woods?" Naruto guessed. He grinned, causing his eyes to crinkle at the corners visibly behind his mask, the fatigue from earlier gone. "I'm good going farther, Sakura-chan."

She sighed. "No, you're right. We'll stop here and set up camp." She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to loosen the tension that had bundled up there over the past few hours. She hadn't slept well and it wasn't because of Ino and Sai in the next room over. She sat on a nearby log and stretched out her legs.

"Did you have another one of those dreams?" Naruto asked quietly. He sat beside her. "About Sasuke?"

Sai began to set up a fire. They'd cook their meal during daylight, so as not to attract attention. They were still within the Fire Country, so they weren't in any particular danger as of yet.

"I read the letter again. I guess it just stirred up my imagination," Sakura said. She shoved up her ANBU mask and rubbed her face. "It just seemed so real."

"Maybe it was real," Naruto said. He nudged her with his elbow gently in the ribs. "When you have a strong connection with someone, maybe it allows you to know things."

Sakura turned towards him. "Have you dreamed about him too?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe. Same as you, sometimes I see things. I see Sasuke, but he's different. He wears a mask of onyx over his face, but I would recognize that wild, Uchiha hair anywhere."

"There's no taming it," Sakura agreed. "I wonder if that's why Itachi wore his in a ponytail," she mused.

"Maybe," Naruto said. "I see so much blood in the dreams. I hope it's not real." He rubbed his prosthetic arm absently. "But I try to see past the mask and past the blood. I try to focus on his left hand. And I'm almost certain it's like mine. I think it's the prosthetic." He turned to Sakura, his blue eyes bright. "I think it's him."

Sakura nodded. "I can't look beyond the mask. I see his eyes, swirling pools of crimson and black Sharingan on the right and lavender Rinnegan on the left." She shivered, gooseflesh covered her arms under her armor. "But, I sense there is someone else. Something else. I think he's a prisoner." She hoped he was a prisoner, because that would mean that he didn't willfully leave her behind for so long.

"A woman," Naruto said, nodding. "I've seen her too. I cannot see her face because she's enshrouded in a cape of black raven feathers." He sighed. "There's not been much word about his other teammates either — Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo. I wonder if they are somehow involved."

"We'll find out soon enough," Sai said. He crouched in front of them and held out two sticks of meat and vegetables speared through shish kabob style. "Eat up and then put your mask back on," he said, pointedly looking at Sakura.

"You be sure to get plenty of rest tonight, Sai," Sakura said, brushing her fingers across her mask. "I'd rather use your ink birds to travel instead of going on foot. It's faster by far."

Sai nodded. He'd been disappointed that his ink birds hadn't been nearly as strong in their quality. He'd made some that morning, but they'd only lasted two hours before his chakra reserves were too low to maintain them. He'd been embarrassed that his night with Ino had affected his stamina for the field. Naruto had laughed uncontrollably for a while after the explanation of why his ink birds weren't as strong as usual.

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* * *

**OoO**

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There was so much blood and death. The smell of decay was nauseatingly strong, though Sasuke didn't react. He didn't react to much aside from rage. The slaughter of his clan had made him numb to most things. Which was good, because she didn't care for human reactions.

When he pleaded to be released so he could return to his friends — his family, she'd laughed. He only intended to be gone from the Leaf for a few months. He'd been looking forward to being lectured by Kakashi, sparring with Naruto, and sharing a future with Sakura. Hell, he was even looking forward to becoming real friends with Sai. He respected the former Root member's loyalty to Naruto and Sakura. He had failed them both repeatedly, but Sai had treasured their friendship. Sasuke was envious of the man.

The mysterious woman offered to return him to his family. With a wave of her hand, he could see the corpses of his mother and father. Their gray skin was loose on their bones and their hair had mostly fallen out, but he was almost certain this was their actual bodies and she'd brought them before him with some dark form of magic.

With a disgusted wave of her hand, they vanished in a thick, dark mist.

He always wondered, why hadn't she showed him Itachi's body? His brother meant more to him than his parents. Did she not have access to his body? Was it because after he defeated Kabuto, he'd sealed his body so that no one else could control it? Itachi was always three steps ahead of everyone. Had he already outwitted this woman? Did he somehow know about her?

She sniffed the air disdainfully. "I do not care for this desolate land. My kingdom is rich with green and you can smell the ocean."

"Feel free to go back there," Sasuke murmured.

She gripped him by the throat and held him in the air, his feet dangled above the ground. Her black, feathered cape billowed in the gust of wind she called towards them. He could see a glimpse of her weathered face — ancient beyond anything mortal. She smiled, the smell of rot drifted from her mouth.

"Oh no, civilization and peace has made that land into a famine for my needs." She threw him away and Sasuke landed hard on his back and gasped for air. "This land," she said holding her hands up and spinning in a slow circle. "This land is ripe! I have been here for twenty years feeding, slowly upon the fat of this Shinobi World! I've gorged myself and my power is stronger than ever!"

She walked towards him, the feathers of her cape glittering in blackness about her. "Now you try to have peace? I think not! You, I can sense a darkness inside of you." She crouched next to him. "Death hangs about you like a second skin. You will be my vessel."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather return home," Sasuke said. He tried to summon his Susanoo, but something about this woman prevented him from accessing his chakra.

She smiled, a malicious glint in her black eyes. "Very well. Then I shall feast upon your friends first." She cocked her head to the side. "Sakura is it? I'm sure she will make a nice appetizer. I shall rip her heart out before your eyes. Make her watch in those few moments of consciousness as I eat her flesh while you do nothing." Her smile grew. "And then Naruto, yes? I will rip out his intestines and slowly make a dress of his entrails while he watches helpless. That fox inside him will serve as a rich spice to my meal."

"Leave them alone," Sasuke growled.

She shrugged. "If you will agree to be my vessel, I see no reason to harm these friends of yours." She pushed back the hood of her robes and the horrible vision of her face was replaced by youthful, smooth flesh. "Come, my Hawk. We have work to do."


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six:**

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Someone gently shook Lucy's bare shoulder. Without opening her eyes, she batted them away, and turned onto her side away from the person. "Leave me alone, I'm sleeping," she mumbled.

"Wake up," Natsu said. He gripped both Lucy's shoulders and yanked her flat on her back.

Lucy opened her eyes and sat up immediately, knocking her forehead against Natsu's. "Hey! Watch it!"

Natsu backed up and rubbed his forehead with a cringe. "What's your deal?"

"You were hovering over me in my sleep!" Lucy cried out.

"Yeah, well, I found us a job in Pergrande. Our train leaves at noon." He stepped away from her bed and plopped down on the couch in the living room, his feet propped up on the coffee table. She saw that his travel bag was next to her front door and Happy was sleeping curled up on top of it.

"What time is it?" Lucy asked. She glanced around at her clock. It was ten o'clock.

"I'm surprised you're still sleeping," Natsu said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the couch pillows. "Normally, you're the first one up when we go on missions."

Lucy didn't point out that the reason she was normally the first one up, was so that Cancer would have a chance to fix her hair. "I was up late reading," she explained. "I only went to bed around four."

"Okay," Natsu said.

"So, are you going to tell me what the job is?" Lucy asked. She got out of bed and started to make it up. If they were going to be gone for an extended period, she at least wanted the apartment to be neat in her absence.

"Well it's the biggest kingdom in the known world," Natsu said. "So as you can imagine, they don't request outside help much. Though there is an eccentric writer that lives out there. He sent out a request to Fairy Tail after we won the Grand Magic Games for some mages to interview. Makarov had been keeping the request private."

"Why would he do that?" Lucy asked.

"Because Pergrande is a long way away and any requests from that great a distance shouldn't be trusted." Natsu let his feet fall from the coffee table onto the floor and then jumped over the back of the couch to head for the kitchen. He opened Lucy's refrigerator and started to help himself to the various left-overs. "Might as well eat this now. It will all be bad by the time we return."

"So this writer is disreputable?" Lucy asked. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as Natsu wolfed down half the roasted chicken she had left over from two nights ago. "If he's dangerous, maybe we shouldn't go."

"That's why Master Makarov kept the request secret. There's only a handful of S-class mages that would be eligible for this trip," Natsu said. He licked the grease off his fingers from the chicken. "You and I were his top choices!"

"But, I'm not an S-class mage," Lucy argued. She walked into her kitchen and turned on the stove for her teapot. She took out a mug and set a tea bag of orange and mint inside.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Luce. You're using the stove when I'm right here?" He picked up the teapot with his barehands and heated it up before he poured the hot water into her mug. "It doesn't matter that you're not S-class right now. You will be within the next year or two, I'm sure. You've progressed a lot in the two years that you've been here." He grinned. "You're a great partner."

Lucy smiled and leaned her hip against the counter. It felt good to have Natsu praise her as a partner, especially when she so often felt useless in battle without her keys or her whip. Now with Aquarius' powers, she had the element of water in her arsenal.

There was a knock at the front door and Happy continued to sleep undisturbed. "I'll get it," Natsu said.

Lucy watched him make his way towards the door. Her partner was often times clueless about social protocols, but he was fierce in battle, and he had a nice backside that she appreciated. She used a spoon to fish out the tea packets and dump them in her waste basket before sipping from her tea. She closed her eyes in bliss at the tangy flavor.

"Natsu? What are you doing here?" Gray asked.

Lucy looked up in surprise to see Gray standing at her threshold. "Never mind, what I'm doing here. What do you want?" Natsu asked, his voice unfriendly.

"Ease off," Gray warned, his navy eyes narrowed. "I came to see if Lucy wanted to practice some more with her water magic."

Natsu backed away from the door and made room for Gray to enter. He shut the door behind him. Happy opened one of his eyes and upon seeing the tension between Natsu and Gray promptly closed it and feigned sleep.

"Sorry, Gray. But, we'll be leaving on a mission in a few hours," Lucy explained.

"Oh," Gray said, visibly disappointed. He shoved his hands into his front pockets and slouched against the wall. "When will you be back? Maybe we can work on it then."

Lucy turned towards Natsu. "I don't know. How long do you think?"

"A month or two, maybe longer," Natsu answered. He went back to the kitchen and started working on the cold chicken again. Lucy imagined that with every bite he took, he reheated the chicken with his mouth.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea with a new power, Lucy," Gray said, a worried expression on his face.

"I don't think I can handle any more lessons with Juvia, Gray. Sorry," Lucy said. She drained the remainder of her tea, washed the mug in the sink, and then set it to dry upside down on a towel on the counter.

Gray grimaced and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry about that. I got carried away with Loke and sort of left you alone to her devices."

"You know she considers me a rival for your affections. She might be a talented water mage, but she's not a very understanding teacher," Lucy said. "Look, you two behave. I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to pack."

"I want to come," Gray said.

"You what?" Natsu growled.

"On your mission. We work well together," Gray said gesturing between the three of them. "And I would love to escape from Juvia during that time. I should be able to help you with mastering your water element. It has many of the same principals as ice."

Lucy smiled. She glanced at Natsu and caught the frown on his face before it disappeared a moment later. "It's okay with me," Lucy said. "Natsu, you want to tell him why we're really headed east and see if he still wants to come along?"

"Yeah, sure," Natsu said. "Go ahead and take your shower, Luce." He grinned at her. "I'll finish cleaning out your refrigerator for you."

.

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* * *

**OoO**

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The border to Iwagakure loomed before them. Sasuke had sent Sakura exactly three letters during his absence. The last of the three, was the one that she read over and over. But, the second letter had been his impressions about the regions he'd traveled through thinking that his observations might one day be of use. Sasuke wasn't the most poetic of men, but his descriptions were spot on. Earth Country was dry, arid, and unfriendly.

Over the past few years, Sakura had developed earth and water release. Naruto, had an affinity for all the nature types — just like Kakashi and Sasuke. Sai also possessed fire, earth, and water. Their mutual ability to manipulate earth made their likelihood of entering Iwagakure possible. They wouldn't be able to pass through the hostile borders, but they could pass underneath them.

Naruto manipulated the lava flowing beneath the ground while Sakura and Sai merged their chakra with his to keep a protective bubble of water around them.

The world underneath was fascinating, everything had an orange glow — a reflection of both the magma and Naruto's sage chakra. It was warm, but not uncomfortable. A constant layer of steam circled around them, making the view opaque, but the subterranean levels glittered with gemstones, copper, and silver.

"I wonder if Earth has any idea of what treasure lies beneath the surface?" Sai mused.

"If they did, I doubt if we'd be seeing so much of it," Sakura answered in a strained voice. "It would have been mined years ago." While she had improved with water release, it was still difficult for her maintain for extended periods.

"Well, when Sasuke gets back he better pick a couple of diamonds from here and offer you a really nice present," Naruto said with a smirk, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at Sakura.

"Eyes ahead, Naruto," Sakura said. She appreciated Naruto's never ending faith that Sasuke would return to them again, but the longer he was away the less likely that seemed. When they were kids, they failed to bring him back home. This time, if they couldn't convince him, they would both have to move on with their lives without him.

"I don't get why Kakashi keeps putting you in charge," Naruto grumbled. "You're always nagging me." He mimicked Sakura by standing with his legs braced apart and holding one fist in his open palm. "It's time to make camp. You can't have ramen for dinner. Don't leave the fire unattended. Orange isn't camouflage." He dropped the stance blew out a trusted breath. "Shesh!"

"I assure you, it's only because I care," Sakura said with an absent grin.

"She does tend to remain more focused," Sai pointed out.

"That's because you're always thinking about your next painting and Naruto is thinking about how soon he can return home to Hinata," Sakura said.

Naruto led them through a volcano and spit them out onto the ground. It was late evening. Their protective water bubble dissolved and they crouched on the ground orienting themselves. "You make it sound like I don't enjoy my missions with you two," Naruto whispered.

The sky had an ominous green cast to it and storm clouds had abruptly gathered. From their research about the weather patterns of the land, it was a clear sign of a hail storm. And the hail from Iwagakure was known to be the size of fists and quite deadly.

"Dome?" Sakura asked.

"Dome," Naruto and Sai agreed.

Together, the three of them laid their hands on the earth and created a small domed shelter - big enough for the three of them to lay stretched out side by side.

Naruto laid flat on his back and stared at the roof of their protective shelter. "I am starved!"

Sakura reached into her backpack and pulled out a couple of protein bars. She tossed one at Naruto and he caught it with ease. "Shizune and I engineered these bars," she explained, handing the second bar to Sai. She reached into her pack for a third one for herself. "Each protein bar contains fifteen hundred calories and will substantially boost your chakra."

Naruto ripped off the paper cover and bit into the protein bar. "Doesn't taste too bad. For a moment, I worried it would have been another one of your kale mental alertness bars."

Sakura frowned. She and Ino had created the kale mental alertness bars the year before. They'd won several accolades at the Konoha Medical Society Convention. "Studies show, that those bars improved mental agility by three-fold."

"They tasted like grass," Sai said blandly. Sakura glared at him and he smiled. "Very smart grass," he added.

"Our mission is to track down Onoki Kamizuru's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. He named her as the Yondaime Tsuchikage before he died," Naruto said. "I don't remember much about her. You?" He asked angling his neck to see Sakura and Sai.

"Tall, dark hair, dark eyes. She should be about twenty-one now," Sakura said.

"How do you remember all that?" Naruto asked.

"Her Kekkei Genkai is lava release and her father is a big, burly man by the name of Kitsuchi," Sai said. "We read the mission report."

"I read the mission report," Naruto protested with a scowl. Sakura raised an eyebrow and he flushed. "Okay, fine, I skimmed it. But it was really long!"

"Which is why you're not in charge of the missions," Sai said.

"Akatsuchi should also be with Kurotsuchi. He was Onoki's bodyguard and fiercely loyal. If the Third Tsuchikage named Kurotsuchi as his heir, Akatsuchi would do all in his power to make sure the line of succession proceeded," Sakura said.

"I remember him. He's got a big, flat nose," Naruto said with a chuckle. "And he's a freaking giant! Even taller than Pervy-sage was!"

"Are you sure about that? You were shorter when you were training with Jiraiya," Sakura said.

Naruto grinned. "And now I'm one-hundred and eighty centimeters tall!"

"And Kakashi is one-hundred and eighty-one centimeters tall," Sakura reminded him. "Now, shut up and get some sleep. As soon as the hail storm subsides we need to start tracking down Kurotsuchi."

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_Revised 1/5/16_


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven:**

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Sasuke clenched his fists, both his natural one and the prosthetic. It was often a challenge to hide his distaste for Kasai Arashi. If it had been his decision, he'd have taken a chidori to the sycophant's hearts ages ago. The man was nothing more than a warmonger. He had no higher goal than to rule as leader of Iwagakure. The problem with that, Iwagakure already had an appointed leader, and it wasn't him.

Morrigan had an affinity for Arashi, so killing the fool wasn't an option. The goddess could alter her appearance, but Sasuke saw past her facade. Sasuke saw Morrigan as a cruel and wretched crone. Arashi saw an alluring, beautiful woman. Morrigan had been upset when she first learned that Sasuke saw past her illusions of beauty. Between his Sharingan and his Rinnegan, no genjutsu could fool him.

"Lord Arashi, there's been a disturbance at the border," one of the Earth shinobi reported.

"Which border?"

"The border near Fire. Through the Rain territory there was a huge surge of chakra that seemed to pass through the ground. It set off some of our alarms, but it moved too fast for us to trace," the ninja answered.

Arashi's dark eyes narrowed. "Impossible."

Sasuke's interest was piqued. Huge amounts of chakra, too fast for normal detection, and from the direction of Konoha? He knew exactly who that was. Naruto had never given up on him before and he wasn't about to give up on him now. He wouldn't be alone. No doubt, Sakura was with him and probably Sai. He didn't know Sai well, but from the little interaction he had with the man before he left the village again, he knew that Sai worked well with Naruto and Sakura. He worked better with them than Sasuke ever had. That knowledge made Sasuke a little sad, but then, he'd never been a team player.

His gaze drifted over towards Morrigan. If he had been a team player, he never would have crossed paths with that one. Not for the first time, Sasuke regretted his decision to leave the village after the war. He claimed to miss his clan, but when he had the chance to rebuild bonds of family and friendship, he turned his back on the opportunity. He had come to love his solitude and now countless lives would be lost due to his selfishness.

His fists tightened and his nails pierced his right palm enough to draw blood.

"Hawk," Morrigan called, raising her hand towards him. "I am in need of your services."

Sasuke sauntered over towards the goddess of death. He would continue to do her bidding. There was little choice in the matter, especially with Sakura and Naruto so close by. He hoped that Sakura received his letters and would realize that he had been kept away involuntarily. If anyone would find a way to defeat impossible odds, it was Naruto and Sakura.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Lucy followed after Natsu and Happy to board the train. She carried a light purse with the train tickets, her journal, and a wallet full of jewels over her shoulder. Natsu carried her heavier travel bag as well as his own.

Gray walked alongside her and kept looking anxiously over his shoulder. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

"I've been trying to lose Juvia all day," Gray explained, tugging on his shirt collar. "Every drop of water I see, I'm afraid it's her."

Natsu smirked. "Maybe you should let her catch you."

Gray frowned. "No way. I want to come. It's been too long since our team had a mission."

"Me, Happy, and Lucy are a team," Natsu said with a frown of his own.

Gray arched his dark eyebrows. "Shall you be the one to tell Erza that she's not on their team?"

"I see your point," Natsu said, clearing his throat. He shifted Lucy's bag over his shoulder and glanced behind to meet Lucy's gaze. "This thing is heavy. What all did you pack?"

"It's just one bag!" Lucy protested. It wasn't like she traveled with mountains of luggage like Erza. She had invested in a compartment magic bag that could hold ten-times as many objects as there appeared to be space. It wasn't that heavy though.

"It's probably full of makeup, so she can try to look pretty and date a bunch of strange men that she meets on the mission," Happy guessed.

Lucy's mouth gaped at the suggestion. She hardly ever dated! She'd maybe gone on three dates since she joined the guild. "That is simply not true!"

"Who wants to go on a date with Lucy?" Natsu asked with a wrinkled nose of confusion.

"Excuse me?" Lucy hissed. She could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"Lucy is a smart, attractive woman," Gray answered. "I'm sure tons of guys would want to go on a date with her." He smiled at Lucy and dropped his hand away from his shirt collar. "Probably a few girls too."

Lucy grinned back. "Thanks, Gray."

"Whatever," Natsu scoffed.

They boarded the train without much delay. Lucy purchased a cup of ginger tea from the refreshment cart in anticipation of Natsu's motion sickness. She sat next to Gray and gave Natsu the seat across from them so he could stretch out for comfort. As soon as the train left the station, Natsu became immediately nauseated. Lucy grimaced and offered the ginger tea.

Unfortunately, the tea seemed to have little effect.

"What is it about dragon slayers and motion sickness?" Gray asked in disgust as he crumpled the empty tea cup.

"It doesn't seem to affect Wendy," Happy said. He balanced precariously on the luggage rack above their heads. "It's just the guys."

The door to their private train car was shoved open and a harried Erza stood in the doorway. "How dare you leave on a job without me!"

Gray's face paled in terror and Natsu hid his face in his arms and moaned his discomfort louder.

Lucy smiled broadly, knowing that of the three she was the only one brave enough to explain their departure to Titania. "It's not really a job, as much as an excuse to travel east. Natsu and I are hoping to visit some distant relatives."

Color returned to Gray's face and he looked quickly between Lucy and Natsu. "You two are related?"

Lucy laughed nervously. "Ugh, no!" It would make her attraction to her partner way beyond creepy if it turned out they were related!

"Oh! Well, then it's a good thing I got back just an hour ago. Mirajane told me about the job request and sent me to find you all here." Erza shoved Natsu against the window and sat next to him. "What are the details?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck and looked across the aisle at Lucy. He smiled faintly at her. "I think that ginger tea may have kicked in a little. Thanks, Luuuucy," he drawled.

Lucy let out a relieved sigh that the herbal remedy helped. "You're welcome."

Natsu stood and dug into his bag on the luggage rack.

"Here you go," Happy said, reaching into the bag himself and pulling out the job request paper.

Natsu handed the paper to Erza. She scanned over the request briefly and then read it again slower.

"Nikolai Berezin wants to interview mages from the champion of the Grand Magic Games for an article," Erza said, arching a scarlet eyebrow. She rolled the scroll up and handed it back to Happy. "It's a ploy," she stated.

"Of course it is," Natsu agreed. "Transportation between Fiore and Pergrande is expensive. I don't care if this Nikolai wants something more than an interview. Lucy and I just needed an excuse to travel east."

"For your family," Erza clarified.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "Don't you wonder about your family?"

"No," Erza said with a shrug. "I spent my childhood as a slave. Jellal is the only family I had before I joined Fairy Tail." She shifted her eyes towards Gray. "What about you?"

"He's avoiding Juvia," Happy answered in a sing-song voice.

The tips of Gray's ears turned red. He slouched in his seat, folded his arms over his chest, and ignored everyone while trying to fall asleep.

Lucy stared out the window at the passing scenery. "I've never been outside of Fiore."

"Me neither," Natsu said. He covered his mouth abruptly. "I think the ginger tea wore off."

"I have the cure for that," Erza offered. She knocked him unconscious with a swift strike of her hand against the back of his head before he could protest. Natsu slumped limply against the window. She focused her attention on Lucy. "How has your training been going with the water magic?"

"It's been a challenge," Lucy confessed with a sigh. She hated dishonoring Aquarius' memory with her mediocre skill with the element.

Gray sat up abruptly, no longer feigning sleep. "I'll be continuing my training with her during the trip."

Erza nodded. "Good. I'll supervise. I have a couple of Equips that are useful with water."

"How would your Equips be useful with water?" Happy asked. "Do you turn into a giant fish? Because that would be a useful talent!"

"No, I do not have any giant fish Equips," Erza said. She cast her eyes over Lucy in a quick inspection. "You look terrible Lucy. Why don't you get some sleep? Gray and I will stay on guard."

Lucy grit her teeth at the observation, but she couldn't argue. With only a couple of hours of sleep the night before she was exhausted.

"Here, I'll trade places. You and Natsu can sleep," Erza offered.

Lucy exchanged seats with Erza and sat next to Natsu. She curled her legs up under her and leaned against Natsu's warm shoulder. He cracked open a eye, not unconscious after all. He held out his arm and Lucy snuggled against his chest. They fell asleep with Erza and Gray's quiet conversation across from them.

.

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* * *

**OoO**

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"I do not understand why you won't agree to a contract with me, Reaper," Aeden complained. He held the onyx key in his hand and brought it close to his eyes. "What is so special about this key that allows you to choose your contractor?"

"I will work with you, but I will not be obligated to you, Aeden," Itachi said. He intended to hold out on signing any contracts until he met Leo's master, Lucy. He spent too much of his life working for corrupt people. He didn't want to spend his afterlife doing the same.

"I'm an honorable man," Aeden said. "You can trust me."

"One should never trust a man who peers death in the eye and finds way to postpone the inevitable," Itachi answered. He didn't add that necromancers were rather despicable people in his opinion. He was particularly sensitive about the subject after Kabuto had resurrected his body and tried to use him to kill those he swore to protect.

Ahead of them stood the charred remains of a village. The cinders still burned and the cries of the dying echoed across the land. Itachi felt his power rising as the need to release those souls from their mortal pains grew.

"Ah, perfect timing," Aeden said. "I need to collect more materials," he rasped. "The fresh corpses are easier than the long dead ones. Those tend to be feral and difficult to manage."

Itachi wouldn't allow Aeden to plunder the dying. He would ease their suffering and send them off. He paused before starting his task as three strong chakras approached. He recognized one as Naruto Uzumaki. By the harmonic resonance of the three chakras working in tandem he reasoned that the other two were that of Sakura Haruno and Sasuke's replacement, Sai.

"Someone comes," Itachi said. He used mist to hide his features and obscure himself further within his dark cloak. He brought shadows over himself and Aeden to watch the scene unfold.

"So, then kill them and make me more materials," Aeden whispered. "Why should we hide? They are of no consequence. The important thing is to reach the goddess."

Itachi strived not to have strong opinions about people. However, he was growing to dislike the necromancer a great deal. He watched as the three masked ANBU spread across the village's ruins. He had two crow familiars in the area and sent them to watch the two males while he watched the female himself. Surely, hair that pink could only belong to a woman.

Next to him, Aeden cursed while Sakura went about the casualties and healed those that were still alive. Under her mystical palm technique, even the ones near death stabilized.

"You must stop that one," Aeden hissed. "She's ruining it." He started towards Sakura, but Itachi moved to block the way.

Naruto flashed to his side. "What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"I do not answer to masked men," Aeden growled.

Naruto directed his attention towards Itachi, though the cloak and shadows made him impossible to recognize. His blue eyes narrowed. "You seem familiar," he said.

"Leave my servant alone," Aeden said.

Itachi turned towards the necromancer. "Servant?"

Aeden held up the onyx key. "You see this? This means The Reaper belongs to me!" He started to laugh hysterically, but the laughter soon turned into a coughing fit, bloody spittle formed on his chin.

"Is that right?" Naruto flashed forward and stole the key from Aeden's grasp. He reappeared at Sakura's side and handed it to her. Itachi saw her place it in her pocket before Naruto reappeared in front of the necromancer before the old man realized what happened. "It is wrong to imprison a great power to force it to do your bidding."

"What happened?" Aeden panicked. "My key!"

Sakura finished stabilizing her injured patient and then hurried to Naruto's side. She stared at the necromancer with wide eyes. "How are you alive?" she whispered.

"By stealing life of those around him," Itachi answered. He stood resolutely as a barrier between her and Aeden. He couldn't risk the necromancer regaining the key, or else he wouldn't be able to do what he now realized he needed to do.

Aeden looked up squinting into Itachi's eyes. "You must destroy them, Reaper! They will only be in our way! She must be stopped! She's ruining everything!"

"I have heard your story, Aeden. I understand your concern. I will take this burden of yours and destroy the death goddess. You must find your peace," Itachi said. He laid his palm over Aeden's face and the man fell dead, his body crumpled to the ground.

The magic that had been animating him dissipated and he dissolved into bone and dust, the weight of the centuries accumulating at once.

Sai joined them and toed the remains with his boot.

Itachi turned to face Sakura again. "You hold my key, Sakura Haruno. What will you have me do?"

Sakura blinked her jade eyes at him, the only visible indicator of her expression from behind the mask. "You know my name."

"I do," Itachi said. Fate must have smiled down upon him to allow him to cross paths with loyal shinobi of Konoha, his brother's truest friends at that.

"Can't I give it back to you?" Sakura asked.

Itachi shook his head. "I cannot hold my own key."

"Like a freed genie," Sai said. "Too much power without a master?"

Naruto groaned. "Were you watching Aladdin again?"

"Something like that," Itachi agreed before Sai could answer.

Sakura glanced at Naruto and he shrugged. "He seems like a good ally to have in this place," he said.

Sakura turned back to Itachi in his cloaked guise. "How about I keep it safe, until you can find an appropriate candidate for ownership?"

Itachi bowed his head. "That is acceptable."

"Any idea what happened here?" Sakura asked.

Itachi looked around the razed village. "Needless destruction and death. It is a civil war after all."

"War is stupid," Naruto complained.

"Yes it is," Itachi agreed.

"You seem really familiar," Sakura said, turning to him with suspicion in her eyes.

"I assure you, you do not know me," Itachi said.

"Your voice — you remind me of someone," she insisted.

"We still have a few hours of daylight. Shall we continue?" Sai asked.

"There are no more lives for you to save here, healer," Itachi said.

She turned towards him again. "How do you know that? I haven't checked yet."

He held out his hands. "My gifts include the ability to sense death and to distinguish life. Of the latter, there is none aside from the three of you and the four you already saved. I took the liberty of putting them to sleep while we had our little moment here."

"You're not alive?" Sakura asked.

Itachi shook his head. "Not anymore."

"We still need to track down our target," Sakura said.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Itachi said. He held up his hands and two crows came and landed upon his shoulders. "With my crows I can track virtually anyone."

"Can you track down Sasuke Uchiha?" Naruto asked immediately.

Sakura elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Our mission comes first, no matter how much we might want to find him," she whispered. "We're tracking down the rightful Tsuchikage. She's gone into hiding due to the excessive rebel forces."

Itachi nodded and sent his crows off to begin the search, they would contact their brothers and sisters to pass on the quest.

"We should keep looking for other villages, such as this one, and try to help the survivors," Sakura ordered. She turned back towards Itachi. "They're only asleep, you say?"

"Your wish is my command," Itachi said, smirking within the privacy of his hood. "And yes, they are only sleeping. They should awaken in the next half hour. It would be a good idea to leave during that time."

She nodded. "Okay."

Sakura wasn't a blonde mage, but she would make an excellent guardian for his key in the interim. And amongst these three, surely he would cross paths with Sasuke. It might be nice to travel with fellow Konoha shinobi that were uncorrupted by Danzo's reign of terror.

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_Revised 1/5/16_


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight:**

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The train's dinner car was mostly empty when Lucy wandered over there during the middle of the night. Her teammates seemed to have no trouble with sleep and she didn't want to disturb them. She struggled trying to sleep, the memory of Aquarius's loss replayed over and over in her dreams. She brought along her journal and a pen to work on her novel - might as well make use of her time.

Her hand flew across the page, recounting the heart wrenching loss of Aquarius. She wrote about her anticipation on meeting the lost relatives in her mother's side - the Namikazes. What if they were all gone? Would this adventure be for naught? Lucy hardly noticed when the waiter returned and dropped off the seaweed salad and fresh miniature oranges she'd ordered. She set aside her pen and dug a fork into the salad absently, knowing she should eat, but her depression stole away her hunger.

"You're up late," Loke said, materializing in the seat across from her. He snatched up one of the oranges and started to peel off the rind. "Something troubling you?"

"Just thinking about Aquarius," Lucy said. She took her straw and swirled it around in her raspberry tea. "And the relatives on my mom's side that I'm hoping to find. Maybe they don't want to be found. What if there was a big dramatic break in the family and my mother's relatives were forced to head west?"

"Uh huh." Loke popped a section of orange into his mouth. "You're thinking too much. So how is the mastering of Aquarius' powers coming along?"

"I get wet."

Loke grinned and waggled his fiery eyebrows. "I bet you do."

Lucy took her straw and thumped it towards him, splashing his nose with tea.

"I have some interesting news," Loke said, leaning towards her with his elbows on the table. He yanked a napkin toward his face to wipe his nose dry. "There is a new celestial spirit."

Lucy frowned. "Is that unusual?"

"I haven't seen a new one born in centuries," Loke confessed. "And this spirit, he's as strong as a Zodiac."

"A new Aquarius?"

Loke shook his head and picked up her tea and drank half of it. "This is pretty good and no. Aquarius lives in you now."

"What's his gate? This new celestial spirit."

"Gate of the Crow and his name is Reaper," Loke explained. "Instead of a golden or silver key, his key is onyx."

"Onyx?" Lucy snatched her glass out of Loke's hand. "Mooch. You're worse than Taurus," she complained. "I've never heard of a key other than silver or gold."

"Me neither!" Loke's dark eyes flashed with excitement behind his glasses. "He's pretty interesting too - very stoic. Handsome too, if you like that sort of thing."

"Who doesn't like that sort of thing?" Lucy asked. She waved the waiter over and ordered another glass of tea. She set the half empty glass in front of Loke. "This one is yours."

"The only problem is he's been missing for a few weeks now. He's a new spirit, so he shouldn't have the spiritual power to survive outside of the spirit world for this long." Loke tapped his fingers on the table. "I'm actually pretty worried."

"It takes a lot to worry you," Lucy murmured thoughtfully.

"I'm sure it will all work out, just keep an eye out. I told him about you, by the way. Mentioned if he wanted a Celestial Spirit Mage that wouldn't abuse him, to seek out Lucy Heartfilia." Loke drained his glass, then reached across the table, and tussled Lucy's hair teasingly. "Don't give up on mastering Aquarius' powers. By you possessing them, that opens you up to one day mastering the Star Dress."

Lucy shoved his hand away. "What's that?"

"It's where'd you team up with celestial spirits with whom you have a close bond and utilize their powers. You and I should work on it. I know losing Aquarius has been hard, but you still have me. And I talked to Virgo and Taurus. They'd like to try training you too." Loke stood from the table. "Maybe after this mission?"

"I would like that," Lucy said with a smile, feeling optimistic. "And Loke, I really appreciate you."

He flashed a debonair grin. "Of course you do."

The door to the dining car slid open and Natsu walked inside with a huge yawn. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily until his gaze landed upon Lucy and Loke. "Hey Lucy, Loke," Natsu greeted.

Loke clapped his hand over Natsu's shoulder. "Make sure she gets some sleep. She's a real grouch when she's trying to hide those bags under her eyes."

Lucy tossed one of the unpeeled oranges at Loke's back, but he ducked and it hit Natsu squarely in the face. Natsu frowned and caught the orange as it began to fall. "Lucy's bags are hardly her main problem when she's not sleeping. It's that temper of hers," he argued.

"I'm right here!" Lucy cried out in annoyance.

"I leave her in your capable hands," Loke said before vanishing back into the celestial spirit world.

Natsu slid into the booth across from Lucy. "You okay?"

Lucy leaned back and eyed Natsu closely. He looked healthy. "How are you not on the floor writhing with motion sickness?"

"It helps when I don't look out any windows." Natsu smiled weakly and Lucy noticed the slight pallor to his cheeks and strain at the corners of his eyes.

"I was just a little preoccupied and couldn't sleep. I was thinking about Aquarius and tracking down our families." Lucy sighed and pushed aside her plate. "Loke says there's a new celestial spirit."

"Oh?" Natsu asked, his face started to turn a sickly green. "Maybe we should go back to our car and sleep." He stood and swayed on his feet. Lucy was quickly at his side and looped her arm around his waist to steady him. "Okay, I'm not feeling so well."

"All right, let's go," Lucy said, helping him head back to their car.

Natsu leaned his cheek against hers, his warm breath caressed over her face. The romantic moment was ruined when Lucy felt a trickle of Natsu's drool slide down her neck.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Itachi felt no hunger, but seeing these Leaf shinobi share in the camaraderie of meal time, he felt a longing for his lost friend Shisui. He closed his eyes and saw once again his last vision of his best friend - eyeless and falling off a cliff to meet his death.

"Hey! Um, Reaper?" Sakura called out from a few feet away.

Itachi opened his eyes and turned towards her, careful to keep his features obscured.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Sakura drew near and he could feel the magnetic pull of his onyx key in her possession.

"I am beyond the subjective status of life," Itachi answered. "Is there something you need?"

"You didn't eat with us, I wanted to make sure you really aren't hungry and just trying to be tough," Sakura explained. She tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear nervously.

"I do not hunger." Itachi turned back towards the western sky. "I had thought my crows would have returned with information."

"It's a vast land. I'm sure they just have a lot of ground to cover," Sakura assured him. "Are you a shinobi?"

"Not anymore," Itachi answered. "In my past, I was always loyal to my village." He turned towards her again. "You have nothing to fear from me, Sakura Haruno. I am barely more than a ghost."

"Then maybe you can push back your hood, show us who you are. You obviously know us," Naruto said. He sniffed the air. "I worked with a ghost before. He saved mine and Bee's life one time when we faced Nagato. Or should I just tell everyone else who you are? Kurama and I never forget a smell."

"Then perhaps you should bathe more often," Sai deadpanned.

"Shut up, Sai," Naruto complained, playfully shoving his dark haired teammate in the arm.

"You know who he is?" Sakura asked. Her hand fell to her side where she kept the onyx key.

"I can tell you, he is on our side," Naruto said. He cocked his head to the side and pierced Itachi with his cerulean gaze. "I'd rather you tell them though."

"I suppose there is no reason to continue this charade," Itachi said. He pushed back his hood, revealing his raven hair and eyes. Unlike in life, in death he could control his Sharingan eyes and see with perfect clarity. His skin wasn't as pale in this new form, but had a dark gray sheen. He was truly a creature of the shadows now.

Sakura raised her hand against her lips in shock. "Itachi," she whispered, her jade eyes wide with fear.

Itachi nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Once, I was Itachi Uchiha. I am now known as Reaper." He tugged his hood back in place, feeling exposed with it down.

Naruto laid his hands over Sakura's shoulders. "Remember, Itachi was always on our side. He was serving deep under cover following the Third Hokage's orders."

"There was a rumor in Root that Danzo tried to eliminate the entire Uchiha clan, so he could harvest their Sharingan eyes," Sai said after an uncomfortable silence fell amongst them. "He could never control the Uchiha and one particular shinobi, Shisui, especially frightened him."

"Shisui was capable of stopping the Uchiha revolt, but Danzo stole that chance by stealing his eye with the power of persuasion," Itachi said. "Shisui found me and entrusted me with his other eye, one capable of breaking any mind control."

Sai nodded. "Danzo's bandaged eye was Shisui's eye. It makes sense. I always wondered how he got away with running Root against the Hokage's wishes."

"And eventually, Sasuke found true revenge by slaying Danzo and destroying all those Sharingan eyes," Itachi said. "I am not returned to this earth to settle my past regrets." He stared into the distance and tried to hasten his crows return with his will alone.

Sakura recalled the details of Danzo's death. He had claimed the Hokage's title while Tsunade was comatose, in spite of popular opinion favoring Kakashi. Shisui's persuasive eye certainly explained that oddity. She had faced off with Sasuke shortly after he killed Danzo. He'd been about to kill his companion, Karin, when Sakura arrived. Thank Kami, Kakashi and Naruto had showed up in just the knick of time to save her from Sasuke's bloodlust.

She reached up and patted Naruto's hands before shifting out and under his touch. "Part of our mission is to find Sasuke. He is thought to have come to the Earth country."

"At least, that's the rumor we're following," Sai said.

"He was the primary concern of my past life. I leave him to the three of you," Itachi said. "He is not to know of my former identity." Itachi peered at the three of them with his dark, serious gaze. "I am here to stop the Morrigan."

"We understand," Naruto said, laying hands on one of Sakura and Sai's upper arms and squeezing firmly, zinging them with the nine-tail's chakra briefly. They both nodded in agreement and he released them.

Sai sat lotus style on the ground and pulled out a scroll. He opened a fresh bottle of ink and spilled the ink over the paper. He activated a jutsu that allowed the ink rats he had created earlier to show him what they had discovered. The ink began to rearrange itself into the form of a camp along with images of recognizable Earth shinobi.

"That's them," Sakura said, pointing to two of the shinobi in the center of the illustrated camp - a slim, tall female and a large, bulky male. "That's the appointed Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi and her father, Kitsuchi."

"It does match the description," Naruto agreed. "How far?"

"Thirty kilometers north," Sai said.

Itachi only half listened to the squad's discussion. His attention was on the distant horizon as he could finally feel the return of one of his ravens. As the crow came closer, Itachi's mind was flooded with the images and sounds his avatar experienced.

The Morrigan, a foul hag that enchanted mortal men, wasn't half a day's journey in the northwest. She had a dark figure enslaved to her will that led the violence of her conquest of the lands. His power was greater than the average shinobi and he sparked true fear into the hearts of the around him. Another man, someone of Earth, led troops to partake in bloodshed and the capturing of slaves with great revelry.

"What did you see?" Naruto asked, standing in front of Itachi and waving his hand in front of his face to attract his attention.

"The Morrigan is in the northwest. I suggest if you do not want the rightful Tsuchikage to be slaughtered, that we intervene soon," Itachi said.

"Anything else?"

"Just impressions," Itachi said, not wanting to voice his concern that the dark figure in his vision was none other than Sasuke.

"We should send some shadow clones," Sakura suggested.

Naruto nodded. "Good idea, now that we know which direction." He clenched his hand into a fist and hit it against his thigh in anticipation. "This will be over in a day or two and then we'll track down Sasuke."

Itachi clenched his jaw, but said nothing of his suspicion upon Sasuke's whereabouts. "We should head out now, before the Morrigan intercepts the Earth shinobi."

"Welcome to the squad, Reaper." Sakura held out her hand and Itachi stared down at it for a moment. Sai and Naruto laid their hands of top of hers.

"I've not been part of an ANBU squad since my time on Ro with Kakashi," Itachi murmured. "I mostly performed solo missions."

"As Kakashi's other teammates, we welcome you to our squad," Naruto said. He nodded his chin towards their joined hands.

"This is highly unprofessional," Itachi said with a sigh as he added his hand to the top of their pile.

"It's a new world," Naruto assured him, as they retracted their hands.

"It's the same world," Sai corrected. He looked over towards Sakura and shook his head. "Are you sure that he passed the academy?"

"He was dead last," Sakura said, jabbing her elbow playfully into Naruto's ribs.

"And he's going to be our next Hokage," Sai said.

"Just as someone has to be first, another has to be last. We're all shinobi in the end," Itachi said.

"Oh, so you're a shinobi again now?" Sakura asked.

Itachi gave her a curt nod. "As I've been recruited to your squad and you currently possess my key, for the time being, I am a shinobi of Konoha."

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_Revised 1/5/16_


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine:**

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In the eastern most border of the Pergrande Kingdom their benefactor lived in a huge mansion. The hallways were lined with tapestries, Persian rugs were scattered across the marble stones, samurai armor as well as medieval armor from the west lined the long stretches of corridors. Nikolai Berezin was obviously a rich man.

"For an eccentric writer, he sure seems to make a good income," Lucy murmured.

"No kidding," Gray agreed. "Maybe he inherited his fortune and then decided to take up writing."

Happy sniffed the air and held his hands over his stomach as it growled loudly. "I just hope he has some fish. I'm so hungry!"

"Don't let down your guard," Erza said. "And don't mention the fish, Happy."

Natsu reached out to touch an intricate vase with a golden dragon etched across the alabaster, but stopped abruptly when Erza's warning glare caught his eye. He retracted his hand and cleared his throat as they waited for an audience with Nikolai Berezin.

"The master will see you now," Nikolai's butler, Anton, said. He opened a huge oak door and led the Fairy Tail mages into a massive library.

Countless books lined the walls and a huge rectangular table took up the center of the room. Nikolai sat at the head of the table with many scrolls piled up around him. The master of the mansion was a short, rotund man. He wore an expensive charcoal colored suit, diamonds as cufflinks, and his head was clean shaven. "Thank you, Anton," he said. "Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the empty seats around his table.

Gray and Lucy sat on either side of the benefactor. Natsu sat next to Lucy, Happy stood on the table in front of Natsu, and Erza sat at the foot of the table facing Berezin directly.

"The strongest, most famous team in Fairy Tail — the champions of the Grand Magic Games!" Nikolai greeted. "I am Nikolai Berezin. I know exactly who each of you are." His dark eyes roved over the team.

"You paid an extravagant price to interview us," Erza said.

Nikolai waved away her concern. "My family made their fortune as merchants. Another article I'm working on is the extraordinary violent civil war in the country to the east of this kingdom — Iwagakure." He laced his fingers together and laid his hands over his prominent belly. "You are right to be suspicious. The real reason I wanted to hire mages from the strongest guild in Earthland was to hire them to help my nephew."

"Who is your nephew?" Lucy asked.

"Anys, my sister, died tragically ten years ago from pneumonia. Twenty years ago, she married a shinobi of Iwagakure and her husband is the leader of the rebel faction. My nephew is only seventeen years old! He shouldn't be involved in such a violent ordeal!"

"Why is your brother-in-law rebelling?" Gray asked. "I assume you know given the nature of your civil war article."

"The leader of the shinobi nation is to be based on a consensus of the shinobi. However, before the Third Tsuchikage died, he decided to name his granddaughter — an inexperienced young woman — to be his successor," Nikolai explained. "According to my Mikhail, the people voted for his father, Kasai Arashi. Frankly, I don't really care which side wins. I wanted to hire the very best, to make sure that my nephew makes it out alive. That's why I solicited the victors of the Grand Magic Games. I've not heard anything from Mikhail in weeks."

"It's not unusual for a delay in communication during times of war," Lucy pointed out.

Nikolai snatched a silk handkerchief from the front pocket of his suit and dabbed at his eyes. "Please, bring my nephew back home to me. Before she died, my sister made me swear that her husband's aspirations wouldn't lead to their son's downfall. I was to do everything within my power to protect Mikhail."

"Trust in us, we'll find Mikhail and bring him back to you!" Natsu promised.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Nikolai said. He shoved one of the scrolls in front of Lucy and Gray. "Here's a map of the region as best my resources could decide with the most up to date information on troop placement of rebel forces and the illegal government."

"Isn't there an Earth Daimyo?" Lucy asked. She had read quite a few books about the lands in the east. It was a secretive land full of ninjas. "Shouldn't he be involved in settling the dispute?"

"The daimyo keeps separate from the military," Nikolai explained. "He uses the ninja to keep his borders safe, but stays out of the affairs of ruling the ninja clans. To him, the ninja are just tools to be used."

"No one should be considered a tool," Erza said firmly.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Thirty kilometers north of the razed village, rested the camp of the Yondaime Tsuchikage's forces. There were several guards at the border of the area and numerous make-shift tents. According to the observations of Itachi's ravens and Sai's ink spies that reported to them, the Earth village was full of civilians as the shinobi had split into two distinct parties.

"Halt, who goes there? State your business," one of the Iwagakure shinobi demanded, sword held at the ready. He was very tall, his posture slightly hunched from fatigue.

"We've come from Konoha," Naruto answered. "Our Hokage received word of the Tsuchikage's distress. We are here to offer aid to settle this dispute with as little bloodshed as possible."

The shinobi lowered his sword and gaped at Naruto open mouthed. The guard next to him, a short and stocky man, elbowed him in the ribs. The tall shinobi closed his mouth abruptly and shook his head. "I can't believe it. It's the Naruto Uzumaki!"

"No way! How can you tell?" the stocky guard asked. "He's got one of those ANBU masks on."

"Look at his hair!" The tall guard said, pointing towards Naruto. He then pointed towards Sakura and Sai. "And that pink-hair! That must be Sakura Haruno! And the dark haired one? I think that's Sasuke Uchiha!"

"I am not Sasuke Uchiha," Sai growled in annoyance.

Itachi hid a slight smile behind the safety of his cloak's hood. "You do favor him," he said quietly.

"If you don't mind, we wear the masks to hide our identity," Sakura said to the two guards.

"Then you two might want to do something about your hair. Not too many blond and pink haired shinobi," the stocky guard answered. "Especially traveling together - from Konoha."

"He has a valid point," Itachi said. "Might I suggest a simple genjutsu to alter your appearance? It might be prudent to do so before we venture farther."

"If you want to be trusted, you should stay as you are. Most squads have someone that can see past genjutsus and it will be suspicious," the tall guard argued. "Besides, everyone knows the heroes of the Great War! You might have to sign a few autographs while you're here," he joked. He pointed towards Sai. "If you're not that Uchiha brat, you must be Sai. Is it true that the pictures and words you draw come to life?"

"It is an ability of mine," Sai answered. "Though I wouldn't call it life so much as artificial animation."

"May we speak with the Tsuchikage?" Sakura asked, interrupting her teammate before he got caught up in a lengthy explanation. "We'd like to report some of the violence we've seen along our journey."

"Sure," the tall guard agreed. "I'll have my clone escort you there." He gestured to the ANBU members. "You'll especially need to explain how you entered the Earth Country with the rebel forces so heavily concentrated at the borders."

"Our companion as well," Sakura pressed. "He'll be joining us."

"I'm afraid we can't allow that," the stocky guard said. "We know you three, but we cannot allow a masked man to enter. You'll remember how well that worked out for us the last time we let a masked man into our midst."

"It's fine, Sakura," Itachi said quietly.

Sakura and Naruto exchanged looks. He shrugged, indicating the choice was up to her on this mission. "You two go, I'll stay with our companion," she decided.

Naruto laid his hand over Sakura's shoulder and nodded as he and Sai followed the tall guard's clone inside the Tsuchikage's camp. The two posted guards eyed Itachi curiously.

"Is he Sasuke Uchiha?" the tall one asked.

Sakura smiled behind her mask. "I'm not at liberty to share my friend's identity."

"You may call me Reaper," Itachi said.

"That's an ominous name," the stocky guard said with a scowl. He directed his dark green gaze towards Sakura. "Though, just in case, you might want to consider dying your hair a less conspicuous color. They have these dyes that wash out." He tugged on one of his medium brown locks of hair. "That's how I hide my gray. Even the best at detecting genjutsus wouldn't see past this disguise," he added with a wink.

"Thanks for the tip," Sakura said. She grabbed Itachi's elbow. "We'll just scout around the periphery and make sure there aren't any rebel factions trying to start any trouble. I don't want to distract you from your duty."

"Be our guest," the tall guard said. "You might want to be on the look out for the Magaki Group. They've been making a lot of trouble lately."

"I'm familiar with them," Sakura said. She tugged on Itachi's elbow and drew him away from the Tsuchikage's camp.

"I sense an uneasiness in the atmosphere," Itachi murmured once they were out of earshot of the earth ninja guards. "Those fools were rather inept at allowing foreign shinobi to enter their campground. It's no wonder that Deidara made such a fool out of them those years ago."

"You respected him?" Sakura asked.

"He was amusing," Itachi said. He chuckled softly. "His ridiculous art." His posture stiffened. "Death is coming." He pointed to the northwest where a large dust cloud had begun to rise.

"Rock rain?" Sakura asked.

"We're too far west," Itachi said. "It's the same feeling from the razed village."

Sakura rubbed her hand over her knuckles in anticipation. "Then let's go and say hello, shall we?"

A couple of Itachi's ravens swooped towards them, landing on his shoulder and then melting into his dark cloak. He tried to smother his emotions at the knowledge he gained from his familiars. There laid a small village in that direction and it had been attacked. The ravens had been unable to escape the dark will of the Death goddess that ordered the slaughter. It had only been the release of a certain summons that allowed them to escape. "There is a large snake."

"Like Orochimaru's snake?" Sakura asked with a hopeful tremor to her voice. Could it be? After all these years of searching — was Sasuke so close?

Itachi nodded. "But not his," he confirmed. "Keep the key safe." He grabbed Sakura around the waist and then they vanished into a cloud of dark smoke, appearing several kilometers away and near the commotion causing the dust cloud.

Sakura felt the world spin around her as her feet settled on the ground. She could feel her chakra rushing through her veins as she geared up for the impending fight. There was a giant snake in the back with hundreds of rebel forces in the front. "They're mad," she realized, observing them kill any animal that crossed their path and stepping upon any fellow ninja that might have stumbled, crushing the unfortunate individuals.

A few of the surviving villagers managed to escape, only to be hunted down by the massive army.

"Berserk," Itachi corrected. He rolled back his shoulders and his scythe materialized in his hand. He gripped the handle tightly in anticipation. "I can smell the stench of death upon them."

The rebel forces were quickly upon them and Sakura and Itachi fought back to back. She recognized several members of the Magaki Group. Sakura did her best to render them unconscious with precisely placed chakra blades — a technique that she and Shizune had perfected after witnessing Kabuto's skill. She used her fists to cause some concussions to put many others out of commission for the foreseeable future.

Itachi swung his scythe. It didn't kill unless he willed it to do so, but it did drain the chakra of any foe he swept it through, without causing any physical harm.

"Handy," Sakura said, catching her breath. The civilians ran past them and towards the Tsuchikage's camp. Ninja from the Tsuchikage's forces began to arrive on the front lines with Sakura and Itachi. Naruto and Sai rushed into the fray at the other end from them, allowing more civilians to escape the melee.

Itachi felt his strength start to fade and an aggressive force began to pull him back to the Spirit World. Just over the hill to the west he spotted a familiar shock of orange hair. "Sakura," Itachi whispered in a hoarse voice. He grabbed Sakura's arm and she turned towards him. "I'm being forced to return to the other world. You must use the key to summon me back."

"How? Isn't there someone we can ask about these things?" Sakura asked. She squinted. "You're starting to be partially transparent." Sakura's healing hands rushed to brush back his hair from his forehead. "You're burning up too. I think if you stay too long here you'll weaken yourself — like with chakra exhaustion."

"Loke, or Leo, is the one that told me a little about this role as a celestial spirit," Itachi said. He closed his eyes to fight a wave of dizziness as the image of the rocky landscape around them was superimposed over the lush, green forest of the spirit world. He wasn't sure if the Loke he saw in the distance was in the human world or the spirit world. "Find a Lucy Heartfilia. She'll know how to summon me back using that key."

Itachi vanished from their realm without another word. Sakura stared at the space he had occupied dumbfounded for a moment. She turned to avoid an attack, but found herself frozen as a strong fist hit against her solar plexus. The air was knocked out of her lungs and she stumbled back, only to be knocked against an invisible wall of frigid air.

A dark fog began to form around her. She struggled to see past the dense darkness to no avail. It became difficult to breath as the air grew thick with oppression.

"You shouldn't have come," a raspy, woman's voice came from her left.

Sakura used a great deal of energy to move her arm and whip out a kunai. She struggled to hold it defensively, not trusting the chakra in her fists to combat the powerful dark force. "Who are you?"

"You have taken my prey," the voice hissed from Sakura's right now. "I am the goddess of Death. It is my right to paint the earth with blood. Who are you to interfere?"

Icy fingers seemed to clutch at Sakura's throat. She tried to pry them away, but they were insubstantial. Her air supply was cut off and she started to panic as her lungs began to starve for oxygen.

"We had a deal," Sasuke barked. His tall, lithe form was suddenly around Sakura. His strong arms encircled her shoulders as he held her against him, the icy fingers retreated abruptly. "What are you doing here?" he whispered against Sakura's ear. "You have no idea the danger you're in."

"Mission," Sakura choked out. She drank in the sight of Sasuke with greedy eyes. His skin had an unhealthy pallor, but otherwise, he looked fine if not slightly annoyed. "You're alive."

"I'd hardly call this living," Sasuke scoffed. His dark gaze looked Sakura up and down and she felt naked under his penetrating stare. He ripped off her ANBU mask with the fox-like caricature on it. "She is an immortal creature that feeds on war, pain, and death." He hugged Sakura against him and lifted her into his arms and jumped away from the ground just in time to avoid the sickening thud of a deadly avalanche from a cacophony of earth-style jutsus by the rebel army.

The dark fog began to draw close again. "I'd apologize, but I have no choice. It's for your own good," Sasuke said. He hit the back of Sakura's neck with the side of his hand and she fell unconscious against him. The fog lingered, uncertain around them. "I claim this one for my own spoils, Morrigan."

The darkness growled unhappily and took the form of a massive dark green dog.

"Mikhail Arashi! Are you here?" A loud mouthed pink-haired man shouted. He opened his mouth again and unleashed a wave of violent fire. "Mikhail Arashi!"

"Try to be a bit more discreet, you idiot!" A dark haired man shouted back before he unleashed a fury of ice daggers between the rebel army and the approaching followers of Kurotsuchi.

"Magicians," Morrigan hissed. "Retreat, my prince of death."

Sasuke gripped Sakura closely and closed his eyes to speak with Aoda. The huge snake summons curled around the rebel army and Sasuke opened his eyes and using the power of his Uchiha bloodline teleported the entire force several kilometers north.

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* * *

**OoO**

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"Sakura!" a nearby masked man with blond hair screamed in anguish.

"What the hell is going on?" Natsu growled. He kicked the ground in frustration at the sudden disappearance of half the fight. "No one answered my question!"

"Maybe you can answer some of ours then," a dark haired woman with an authoritative air asked. The remaining fighters flanked around her protectively.

"We're from the Fairy Tail Guild," Erza explained. "We're here on a mission to track down the nephew of our benefactor."

"Mikhail Arashi?" the dark haired woman guessed.

"Wow, lady, you're really smart!" Happy said with a pleased flap of his wings as he hovered near Natsu's shoulder

"She's no lady, cat," a burly man with a bulbous nose warned. "You were speaking with the Yondaime Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi Kamizuru."

"It's okay, Akatsuchi," Kurotsuchi said. "I've heard of these mage guilds of the far west. I've just never heard of one coming so far east that they enter our lands."

"Is he here?" Natsu asked. "We have other business to get to, so we'd really like to return Mikhail to his uncle and be on our way."

"Natsu, calm down," Lucy said, laying her hand over his forearm. "We have plenty of time to finish our personal business," she whispered. "Something is very wrong here."

"You're right something is wrong here!" the blond masked man said. He jerked his mask up revealing prominent whisker markings across his cheeks and crouched near the ground. He picked up an abandoned mask. "Two of our teammates just vanished!"

"I'm sorry, Naruto, truly," Kurotsuchi said, her dark eyes sorrowful. "I need to help my citizens, but I can spare a few good ninja to help you." Her lips thinned in frustration. "This isn't the first time I've seen these rebels snatch up people and vanish into thin air."

"I appreciate the offer," Naruto said. "We can track them faster on our own."

Kurotsuchi nodded. She looked past him towards the Fairy Tail mages. "Kitsuchi, if you'll speak with these mages."

"Of course, Yondaime Tsuchikage," another tall, brawny man answered.

Kurotsuchi sighed. "It's okay if you call me by my first name, Dad," she chided.

Kitsuchi shook his head stubbornly. "No, thank you, Yondaime. That wouldn't be right." He stared at the Fairy Tail mages expectantly.

"Gray, you and I will talk with him," Erza ordered taking charge of the situation. She turned towards Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Loke. "Help these two find their missing teammates. We'll catch up."

Natsu stared at Naruto, sensing a kindred spirit. "You're Naruto?"

"Yeah, and this is Sai," Naruto said, gesturing towards his silent companion.

"The masks are supposed to conceal our identity," Sai said with a sigh. He pushed his mask up as well. "From what I saw, it looked like Reaper vanished about a minute before Sakura."

"Reaper?" Loke asked. He turned to Lucy, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "I thought I saw him! He's the missing celestial spirit I told you about. I'll be back when I can, Lucy. I'm going to check the spirit world and see if I can find him. Call if you need me." He vanished with a pop.

Naruto stared down at his friend's mask in his hand. "It had to have been Sasuke. He's grown very powerful if he can teleport so many people." He tucked the mask into the pack on his hip. "He won't hurt her."

Sai scoffed. "Are we talking about the same Sasuke?"

Naruto moved his hands into a rapid series of motions and dozens of clones appeared around them. They scattered into different directions. "What's the personal business that brought you here?" He turned towards Natsu and Lucy.

"Um, well, we were looking for our distant relatives in the Country of Fire," Lucy explained. "We're from Fiore. It's one of the western most countries of Earthland."

"Oh?" Naruto and Sai exchanged looks. "That sounds pretty far away," Naruto said.

"We are from the Country of Fire," Sai said. "Who are your relations?"

"She's looking for the Namikazes and I'm trying to track down my uncle Kizashi Haruno," Natsu said.

Naruto started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Happy asked in irritation. "They are both orphans looking for their long lost family. You shouldn't laugh!"

"What a strange little cat," Sai said. He reached out to poke Happy in the belly and the exceed giggled.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm laughing because I'm Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze," he explained. "You found me."

"Wow, I didn't think we'd find you so easily," Lucy said. She smiled at the blond and held out her hand.

Naruto stared down at her hand. He reached out and shook it briefly. "Unfortunately, one of our missing teammates is Sakura Haruno." He turned to Natsu. "You both have pink hair."

Natsu grinned broadly. "What are we waiting around for? I'm fired up! Let's go get her back!"

"No point in rushing off without a known direction," Naruto protested. "That's why I sent out the clones."

"What about Reaper? How do you know him?" Lucy asked.

Naruto and Sai exchanged looks once more. "What do you know about him?"

Lucy held up her keys. "I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage and he's a celestial spirit."

"He's more than a celestial spirit," Naruto said quietly. He stared off into the distance with a look of frustration. He sat on the grass and assumed the lotus position. He closed his eyes and started to meditate. A vibrant yellow glow enveloped his body.

"What's he doing?" Natsu asked curiously. He could sense the strength in Lucy's lost relative, but it was different than dragon slayer magic. He grinned. He'd really like to fight with the blond and test his strength, but he'd have to be patient — not his strong suit.

"Sage mode," Sai explained.

"That doesn't mean anything to me," Happy complained. He looked longingly towards the camp where Erza and Gray went. "I'm so hungry."

"What's Sakura like?" Natsu asked Sai.

"Strong and temperamental," Sai answered.

Naruto's eyes opened and his pupils were in the shape of a cross — a horizontal and vertical slit intersecting in the center. "We should go north."


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten:**

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Once more in the Spirit World, Itachi sat on a large boulder, with his hood pushed back, and staring into the distance. His legs were crossed lotus-style and he held his hands over his knees. He kept his breathing even and controlled. He spent most of his life meditating and channeling his chakra. Surely, he could master his new essence.

He was stuck in this accursed magical realm!

Itachi could feel the crows back on the plane of earth, but he could not return to them. He struggled to feel a connection to his onyx key and to wherever Sakura might be, but he only sensed a vague tug in his core.

The sounds of tree nymphs giggling in the nearby woods grated on his nerves. How was he to concentrate with such distractions?

"It takes years to build the energy reserves required to self-summon," Leo said, stepping out of the forest's edge.

"I cannot leave them in such peril," Itachi grumbled.

"Who were they?" Leo asked. "I saw you moments before you returned to this realm."

"Allies against a great evil," Itachi answered. The necromancer was a wretched man, but he introduced Itachi to a villain unlike any he'd seen as a shinobi — an enraged goddess was uniquely terrifying. And the longer he stayed in the Spirit World, the more lives she endangered. It became obvious that the Lion Spirit had no intention of leaving, so Itachi gave him his full attention. Perhaps he might even be useful.

Leo folded his arms over his chest and stared at him with an imperious air. "And your summoning key?"

"Safe."

Leo scoffed. "You did not give it to Lucy Heartfilia, Reaper. How can you be sure it is safe?"

"I simply know," Itachi said. "I gave it to an ally — one of my former life and now in this one."

"You were in the company of humans from your mortal life?" Leo asked in shock. He ran his fingers through his unruly fiery hair. "A hundred years passed between my mortal life and my first summoning."

"Time does pass differently between the realms," Itachi said.

"You risked your life staying away from the Spirit Realm for too long. You haven't the experience or energy reserve to stay so long in the human world." Leo started to pace, shoving his hands into his pockets. "The key is useless without the skill of a Celestial Spirit Mage to summon you."

"I will learn to summon myself," Itachi said. "While I am glad for you, that you like your contractor, I have no intention of making a contract with her. I trust the woman that has my key."

"Do you now?" Leo asked. He stalked towards Itachi's boulder. "Is she your lover?" He grinned. "The ladies of the mortal land are what makes my days worthwhile."

"One, she's not my lover. Two, I would hope that you have more satisfaction in life than numerous conquests," Itachi sneered in disgust. "There is a very serious danger and I need to return so that I can stop it."

Leo started to laugh. "You cannot seriously believe that the fate of the world relies on your participation! I can assure you, as long as Fairy Tail is around, the world is safe."

"Your mages are no match for a goddess of Death," Itachi warned.

"What do you mean? Goddess of Death?" Leo asked.

"I am the Reaper. Do you not think it a coincidence that a goddess of Death should appear and cause murderous havok?" Itachi demanded. "If you cannot teach me how I might increase my powers and summon myself, then be gone."

"It simply takes time," Leo said. He ran his hands through his hair again. "Maybe I can speak with the Spirit King, find out what's going on. You're not an usual celestial spirit. Maybe he knew something about this threat."

"Better yet, I will solicit an audience with the Spirit King. You return to the mortal realm and find out what is happening," Itachi said. "Surely, you are not the only spirit that can self-summon."

"Well, Virgo does it quite often too, but I'm not sure—-," Leo trailed off.

"Take me to Virgo and then you return," Itachi ordered.

Leo narrowed his eyes. "I don't take orders from you, Reaper. I am the King of the Zodiacs."

"And I am something else entirely," Itachi warned.

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* * *

**OoO**

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"I can not believe how stupid you can be," a deep, frustrated voice whispered.

Something cool pressed against Sakura's forehead and she slowly opened her eyes. She was in some sort of cave with only one bright lantern in the corner illuminating it. Sasuke was leaning over her, his brow furrowed in either concern or annoyance — probably the latter.

Sakura lifted her hand to brush her fingers against his cheek. Her arm felt like it was made of lead for the effort. His skin was warm and his face more angular than it used to be. "It's really you." Her mouth was so dry, it felt like cotton.

"Of course it's me," Sasuke huffed, dropping the wet cloth he had pressed against her. He reached up and clasped her hand, pulling it away from his face. He stood up and walked towards the far wall. "I'll get you some water."

Sakura reached for Itachi's onyx key and sighed with relief at the solid stone. "We've been worried about you."

Sasuke came back and crouched next to her, holding a canteen to her. "Drink."

She drank the water, trying to pace herself so that she wouldn't be sick. Sasuke stared back at her with his dark, unreadable eyes. "You realize you screwed everything up by showing up."

"Sorry to inconvenience you," Sakura scolded. She sat up abruptly, knocking her forehead against his in the process.

Sasuke rubbed his head and frowned. "You're not an inconvenience," he hissed. "You were supposed to stay away. I knew you would come eventually, but I needed you to stay away at least until I figured out how to stop her."

"I guess the lack of letters should have been my first clue," Sakura said. She narrowed her eyes and focused her healing chakra to sooth Sasuke's bruise without ever touching him. "The Hokage sent us on a mission to investigate the bloody civil war in Earth. What are you doing here? After everything that happened, I wouldn't have thought you would betray us again and go rogue."

He gripped both her upper arms with his hands and shook her gently. "I didn't betray you. I would never put you, Naruto, or Kakashi through that again."

"Then why are you here?" She could feel her eyes water and she hated her weakness. Why was she always so emotional when it came to Sasuke? She'd rather be angry and busting something down with her fist. She didn't have time to cry like a whiny adolescent.

Sasuke released one of her arms with his true hand and ran his coarse thumb under her eye, brushing away one of her tears. "I'm here because there is something more terrible and powerful than Kaguya," he said quietly. "You know how Itachi was a double agent. He worked within the Akatsuki to keep worse things from happening. I'm having to do the same thing."

"It's not the same thing, Sasuke," Sakura whispered. "Itachi's mission was sanctioned by the Hokage. Kakashi knows nothing about this."

Sasuke's thumb traced over her cheekbone and then he swept his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head, angling her face to look up at him. "Except, I'm not doing it for the village. I'm doing it for you. You and Naruto. I knew eventually Kakashi would send the best out here and you two are the best. I'm stalling until we can defeat her. We defeated one evil goddess, we can do it again."

"We saw some of the destruction this goddess has caused," Sakura said.

"Morrigan is the goddess of death, war, and strife," Sasuke said. "She stirs up trouble where there is already unrest. Iwagakure was a breeding ground for discontent with the rival factions for Tsuchikage." He leaned close so that his forehead was pressed gently against hers. "Why were you so far away from the others? You know the importance of keeping in a tight formation."

Was he really lecturing her about teamwork? How much should she tell him about Itachi? It felt wrong to keep it from him, but she promised Itachi. "I had a partner, but he vanished."

"Vanished?" He narrowed his eyes. "Did he teleport?"

"No, he has powers. He calls himself Reaper. He's trying to stop this Death goddess. He's a Celestial Spirit," she explained.

Sasuke released his hold on her and rocked back on heels. "I have no idea what you're talking about. A Celestial what? Why would you partner up with an unknown? That's very dangerous, Sakura!"

Sakura chortled out a laugh at the hypocrisy. "You're the one working for an evil goddess! And our interests were in alignment. It made more sense to work together for a common goal." She sighed and reached for his hands, surprisingly, he let her hold them. "What do we do now?"

"I can't let you out of my sight," Sasuke said. "I claimed you as my spoils."

"I don't need you to babysit me." Sakura frowned. "And I'm not spoils of some war!"

"She would kill you in a heartbeat," Sasuke said. He squeezed her hands and then released her before standing up and staring down at her. "She wants to, but in order to keep me in her service, she knows not to harm you. Arashi is another matter. He'd love to kill you to get to me. He considers us rivals for the goddess' affections."

"I can't help you kill people," Sakura said, standing in front of him. She had to crane her head back to meet his gaze.

"You're a poison expert. Maybe you can create a massive poison to temporarily create a false death," Sasuke suggested.

"It doesn't work that way. You're the one that apprenticed with Orochimaru. You know more about poisons than I do." Sakura stared down at her hands. She was supposed to heal people, not harm them. "Shizune taught me what she could, but I've no idea of something that can be used on that large of a scale."

Sasuke breathed in deeply. "They call me Hawk. They don't know who I am, though of course some suspect. Your hair is too recognizable. You'll have to dye it."

Sakura reached up and tugged at the ends of her pink hair. "I don't care if they know who I am. They'll figure it out soon enough. And maybe you just think they don't know who you are. You're infamous, Sasuke Uchiha."

He smiled at her. "You always had a gift to see past even the most elaborate genjutsus, Sakura. That's part of the reason I love you. You were always able to see beyond my bull shit. But, so far, you've been the only person to see beyond my illusion. Just as I can see beyond the goddess' illusion. To others she appears as a beautiful enchantress. I see her as the wicked crone that she is."

Sakura gaped at him. He just spoke more words to her at one time than ever before and within the midst of it, he confessed his love. "You love me?"

Sasuke scowled. "I thought it was obvious, Sakura." He turned his back on her and hurried to a pack in the back corner of the room and started to shuffle through it.

"Where are we? I thought this was a cave, but now I'm not so sure," she said.

"Your affinity is to water and earth, you should be able to figure it out," Sasuke muttered. "Ah," he said, pulling out a bottle of ink in his pack. "I had this for writing you letters, but kept it just in case. It will do."

Sakura closed her eyes and channeled her chakra into the ground beneath her. They were underground and while it was a cave, it wasn't a natural cave. "You carved this out yourself."

"You always were smart," Sasuke said. He held the bottle of black ink. "Do you want to do it, or should I?"

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* * *

**OoO**

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Lucy stared down at the strange ink creature she was riding. She was sharing the magical creature with her newly discovered cousin while Natsu did his best not to puke on Sai on whom he shared an ink bird.

"I don't feel right about leaving Gray and Erza behind," Lucy said softly.

"I left behind a couple of shadow clones with them," Naruto assured her. "They'll tell them what's going on. They can join us later."

"Yeah, well, it will take them a while since they don't have flying transportation," Lucy grumbled. The ink bird began to dip down towards the earth and Lucy clutched onto Naruto's waist in a near panic. She didn't like flying and she liked falling even less. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that they'd be on the ground soon. As she pressed her face against Naruto's back she wrinkled her nose. How can someone smell so strongly of ramen noodles?

She hated ramen noodles. There was a time when she'd gone a month without any work for the guild and had to subside on ramen noodles for most of her meals. It had been a terrible month and it had taken some serious work-out sessions to lose the fifteen pounds she'd gained from the ordeal.

"So, when we finish up this mission and head home I'll show you around. You've got to eat at Ichiraku Ramen. It's the best ramen in the world!"

"I'm not that big of a ramen fan actually," Lucy said. "Though, we just need to find one boy amongst a rebel army. It shouldn't take too long." She touched the keys on her belt absently. "I look forward to seeing the homeland of my mother's ancestors."

Naruto looked down at her keys and frowned. "Why do you have so many keys? I just keep the key to my apartment under the floor mat."

"I use them to fight," Lucy answered. She hurried towards Natsu's side as he slid off Sai's ink bird. She caught him by the shoulders as he groaned. "Are you okay?"

Natsu shook his head, his eyes glazed over for a moment before they cleared up. "Fine, now that I'm on solid ground." He brushed her hands off him and looked around. His gaze settled to an area up ahead. "That's where the camp is."

"Yes," Sai agreed. "I landed us here so that their scouts might not see us, though a spied troops not too far away on the other side of the hill."

"Don't you think it might be easier to see giant birds in the sky than an army on the ground," Lucy argued.

"I'm ready for some company," Natsu said with a cheeky grin.

"And we're about to have it," Naruto said. A dust cloud formed over the hill in front of them as the sound of troops marching towards them drew near. He looked towards Lucy. "I'll leave some shadow clones with you for protection."

"Lucy's tough," Natsu assured him. "She can handle herself."

While Lucy appreciated the vote of confidence, she couldn't help, but feel nervous. A sudden chill raced down her spine. Something very bad approached.

At the peek of the hill a green dog stood. It stared down at them and howled.

"Never seen a dog like that," Naruto said with a frown.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven:**

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Amidst the rocky terrain, Lucy felt the draw of a nearby water source. A small stream, akin to an oasis in the desert, was only a short distance away. She took a deep breath and the Star Dress power of Aquarius began to flow within and her clothes transformed into a bikini. The water from the stream swelled up around her like a geyser.

"What are you going?" Naruto cried out, hurrying after her. He looked her up and down, his cerulean eyes were wide, but they quickly narrowed in annoyance. "I wish I had my cloak to drape over you," he grumbled. "No cousin of mine should be wandering around in such a revealing outfit."

Sai rode on the back of an ink lion with several more ink lions running alongside him. The creatures raked their claws through the nearby enemy. Several of the ink lions were sliced into by flying shiruken and kunai. Sai's talent reminded her of her guild mate Reedus Jonah. Natsu blew a a dragon's roar of fire into the enemy's ranks and started brawling with whomever got in his way.

Naruto's comment finally registered in Lucy's mind and she huffed in irritation. "There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. Gray is the one that strips down all the time."

"Okay, I don't think I want to know more about that," Naruto said. He rubbed his hands together eagerly and in seconds dozens of clones popped up around them.

"Perhaps we should focus on the enemies coming our way?" Lucy suggested. "Before Natsu and Sai have all the fun." She shook her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things, but the multiple copies of her cousin were everywhere. Perhaps Naruto possessed some sort of duplication magic.

Naruto's shadow clones began to descend towards the foreign forces. Lucy sent a wave of water rushing towards their opponents.

"I've a plan," Naruto said, standing back to back with Lucy. One of his clones was to his right and together they began to spin a sphere of water from the geyser. He created a massive spinning ball of water. "Rasengan!"

The water washed out the approaching army, knocking them unconscious.

Lucy's jaw went slack. The battle was over and there was hardly any destruction. Natsu turned back towards them, steam rising up around him from where the cold touched him.

"Unfortunately, neither Sakura nor Sasuke are here," Naruto said scowling. He gestured towards the crows circling in the sky over head. "Those belong to our other friend and he too is missing."

"The celestial spirit?" Lucy asked. "Reaper?" She watched as Naruto's copies began to restrain their enemies in earth rising up around them from the neck down.

Sai hurried to their side, his clothes drenched in water. "Do you sense them?" His dark eyes were focused on Naruto.

"Nah, I'm not even sure they're in this dimension. With Sasuke's Rinnegan, he could have transported them anywhere." He pointed towards the circling birds. "Maybe we watch them. Animals have a certain sense about these things."

"Well I intended to ask some of them," Sai said jabbing his thumb over his shoulder towards the unconscious enemy force. "Between your clones and the flame-brain, you knocked them all out!"

Naruto chuckled uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, they'll wake up. We can ask them then." He shook his head and groaned in frustration. "I can't sense them at all!" He started to stalk towards one of the closest earth-encased opponents. He laid his hand over the crown of the shinobi's head and closed his eyes in concentration. "There is a foreign entity within these people."

"Like with White Zetsu?" Sai asked.

"White who?" Natsu demanded. "I thought you said my cousin was going to be here." He rubbed his palm over his knuckles impatiently. "Where?"

"Not like White Zetsu exactly," Naruto said, ignoring Natsu's questions. He shook his head, his eyes glowed a fluorescent red and his aura took on a decided orange cast to it. "This is something older, darker."

"Older than Kaguya?" Sai whispered. "Impossible."

"Maybe not older, but at least as old," Naruto said. He shook his head and the orange glow faded. "I'm going to extract the foreign essence from them all."

"There are at least a hundred people out here," Lucy protested. "Shouldn't we be finding your friend?" She reached for Natsu's shoulder and grasped it. "We still need to find Arashi."

"We—-," Natsu started, but his jaw went slack and his dark eyes bugged out at the sight of her in the Aquarius bikini. "What are you wearing?" He yanked off his vest and hastily put it over Lucy's shoulders, covering her for the most part.

Lucy let Aquarius's powers fade and her clothes returned to their normal state. She shrugged off the vest and shoved it back at Natsu. "It's not like you've not seen me in less clothes than this before."

Naruto looked up from another shinobi that he was extracting the foreign chakra from and glowered at Natsu. "You getting fresh with my cousin?"

"You're looking for someone by the name of Arashi?" Sai asked. "Do you have a description on what he looks like? We've already teamed up, you might as well let us help you while we eradicate the foreign influence on these people. It might be that we can find him amongst them."

Lucy gripped the whip at her side and unfurled its length. "Natsu and I will look. Just make sure none of them run off."

"Why is it that blonde women always boss me around?" Sai complained to Naruto.

.  
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* * *

**OoO**

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"No," Itachi said.

"But, you must," Virgo argued.

Itachi reached out and plucked the whip from Virgo's hands. He tossed it aside on the ground several meters to his right. "No. I will not strike you. Can we focus?"

"You were not understanding my teachings. Therefore I must be punished." Virgo bowed at her waist and made to reach for the whip past Itachi, but he blocked her with ease.

"Perhaps, it is simply not possible yet," Itachi said.

Virgo straightened her posture. "Of course, you are correct, Reaper."

"Let's take a break," Itachi suggested.

"But it's simple. I focus on Lucy's essence and my key that she has in her possession. Our bond is strong and I can find her anywhere." Virgo sat on the ground and stretched out her legs. "Why didn't you give her your key?"

Itachi stared down at her, his face expressionless. "She is a stranger to me. Is she the only one who has possessed your key?"

"Not always," Virgo said. "Before my princess, I was under the possession of Everlue. He owned a most excellent library, but he preferred that I maintain a certain look." She rolled back her shoulders and then transformed into a giant gorilla-like woman. "Something like this," she said, her voice an octave deeper.

Itachi cleared his throat and looked away from the unattractive sight. "And he preferred you to look such as this?" He gestured vaguely towards her.

Virgo nodded and then shifted back to her pretty, young, lithe form. "Lucy didn't force me to appear in any certain way to suit her needs, but to look as I am naturally." She smiled faintly. "She accepted me as the Maiden."

"I am not a Zodiac," Itachi said. "I am something of a more sinister nature and I do not think your cheerful, happy Lucy Heartfilia would know what to do with someone like me." He looked up towards the sky and for a moment he thought he saw images of a rebel camp from the point of view of his crows. Then the vision was gone. "I must speak with the Spirit King."

Virgo shot to her feet immediately. "You wish to speak with the Spirit King?"

Itachi nodded his head once. "You'll take me there."

"Sure, of course, but, um, he's not really someone you should just go and talk to! When he wants to speak with you, he will. And really, you don't want him taking an interest in you," Virgo said nervously.

"I appreciate your warning, but take me there," Itachi ordered.

"But, I still haven't been able to teach you how to self-summon," Virgo complained. She blew out a frustrated breath and then smiled. "Let's go." She grabbed onto Itachi's elbow and the two of them were sucked underground, dark soil spun up around them, and then they exited from the ground outside of the Spirit King's gate.

"You don't have to stay," Itachi said.

Virgo didn't wait a moment longer and disappeared through the hole she just made.

The golden gates began to ease open and Itachi stepped inside, stars twinkled brightly in the sky all around him.

"So, Crow, you have come with news for the Spirit King, have you?" The king's deep voice vibrated all around him. "It seems a new spirit knows more than I could possibly."

"A murderous goddess is on the physical world," Itachi said, nonplussed by the king's sarcasm.

"The Morrigan," The Spirit King said. "She is why you were created, Reaper. The universe doesn't create one force without creating an opposite force to counteract it."

"She's been around a great deal longer than I have," Itachi argued.

"Ah, but not active until now. Many centuries ago, there was another that wore the mantle of Reaper," the Spirit King explained.

"What happened to him?" Itachi asked.

The Spirit King shrugged, but didn't answer. His fathomless eyes told a different story.

"Is there a way I can self-summon? My key is in the possession of one I trust," Itachi explained.

"It was last you checked," the Spirit King said. "She is now in the camp of the battle goddess. You have no contract with the human. You cannot self summon without a contract connecting you to a mortal."

"What about my brother? My eyes were transplanted into him. Could I track him?" Itachi asked.

"There is nothing mortal about you anymore, Reaper. I suggest you utilize your familiars." The king waved his hand towards Itachi. "You are impatient. I didn't expect this of you. You want to know what all you can do. I can tell you what your predecessor was capable of doing. _She_ could call forth the spirits of fallen warriors to fight alongside her in temporary solid bodies. She was also able to do any sort of skill in this life that she could do in her mortal life." The king leaned towards Itachi, his elbows propped on his knees. "You could teleport in your previous life?"

Itachi nodded. He felt like a fool for assuming that his processor was a male. Tsunade Senju was a one of the greatest Hokage's Konoha ever had.

"Then I'm sure you'll find a way to teleport and find those you seek," the Spirit King said. The stars in the sky around him grew an angry red. "Now, do not seek an audience with me uninvited again, Reaper."

Itachi bowed stiffly. "Of course, your Highness." In a swirl of black crows Itachi dissolved from the king's throne room and reappeared just outside of the gates. He had been going about things the wrong way. He needed to meditate and communicate with his familiars. He'd find his way back to the physical world, one way or another.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Sakura stared at the bottle of ink. "I am not dying my hair."

"Fine, then I'll do it," Sasuke said. He started to reach for Sakura, but she grabbed his wrist in an unyielding grip. His jaw tensed in pain, but he didn't make a sound.

"Don't make me break your arm," she warned.

Sasuke stared down at his hand and swallowed noticeably. "I've only got one left you know."

"I'll use a genjutsu, it will work for most," Sakura said, releasing him.

Sasuke sighed and then brushed his long bangs away from his Sharingan eye. "They will all believe the genjutsu," he said. _"She'll_ see past it of course, but then, she's not human." He reached out and touched the tips of her pink hair. "I have missed your annoying ways."

"Aren't you the romantic?" Sakura asked, knocking Sasuke's hand away from her hair. "Have you any allies here?"

"Karin," Sasuke said. "But she's so in love with Arashi, it would be comical if it wasn't so annoying."

"Who's Arashi?" Sakura asked.

"Kasai Arashi — he's the leader of the Rebel Camp. Though, he hardly notices Karin. He ignores her in favor of Morrigan." Sasuke chuckled. "Karin followed me here, she's worse than you ever were, but upon seeing Arashi, her affections shifted immediately to him. She makes a much better friend than a stalker."

"As a former stalker, I can say that eventually, we grow wise and stop chasing after you," Sakura said.

Sasuke stepped close to Sakura and framed her face with his hands, cradling her gently, his thumbs rubbing idle circles. "You don't have to chase me, Sakura. You caught me long ago."

The onyx key felt cold against the flesh of Sakura's waist. It was a stark reminder that this was no time for a romantic reunion. "We need to stop her. Then you can come home." She reached up and cupped her hands around Sasuke's. "We can go home together."

"It's a nice dream," Sasuke said, his eyes dark with sadness. He stepped back from her, his hands falling to his sides. "You better work that genjutsu. We can't stay hidden away in here forever. It's time you met the camp."


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve:**

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The malevolent atmosphere was thick around the camp of the Iwagakure Rebels. The Morrigan had infected almost all of the Shinobi there. Sasuke walked alongside Sakura, in her dark-haired henge genjutsu. It was strange seeing the jade-eyed woman with raven hair. Sasuke couldn't quite repress the idea that if they had a child, he or she might appear somewhat like Sakura's current look.

"What?" Sakura whispered, catching his eye when he glanced at her.

"This might be a challenge for you, but keep quiet," Sasuke warned.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, but she said nothing.

He wasn't looking forward to when Sakura would decide to unleash her choice words at him. He had left a couple of Aoba's siblings slithering amongst the campsite. There was one rebel that didn't carry the dark taint of the Morrigan's influence. Mikhail Arashi, the son of Kasai, seemed unaffected by the battle lust. He would have liked to have talked with the boy, but he didn't want to draw the Morrigan's attention to the one tranquil soul in the camp.

One of his snakes slithered to Sasuke's heel, then wrapped around his leg, and continued until it had wrapped around his wooden prosthetic forearm. The snake hissed in its reptilian language and reported its finding. There was an unusual number of crows in the air.

Sasuke's heart ached at the memory of Itachi and his affinity for the birds.

"Well, if it's not the Hawk," Karin called out in a sing-song voice. He might have been annoyed by her greeting, but he recognized it as a warning. Kasai Arashi walked alongside her with his arm hung casually over her shoulders. The smile on her face froze when she noticed Sakura. Surely, she too recognized the Leaf shinobi. "And you've acquired a companion on our last raid!"

"You're the only one to get anything of worth on that raid," Kasai grunted. He scowled at Sakura and then at Sasuke. "Why should you be the only one to collect a prize?" He turned towards Karin. "I've been much more loyal to the goddess than this ungrateful whelp," he said gesturing angrily at Sasuke.

"Calm yourself, my dear," Karin soothed. "You have no need for a simple woman when you have me at your side," she cooed. "The goddess is pleased with you and that is why she has approved of our relationship."

"Maybe a few lays with the wench will erase that permanent scowl from his face, eh?" Kasai snorted with laughter. "Well, Hawk? Why did we leave so soon? The imposter Tsuchikage was within our grasp! I could have easily crushed the little girl!"

"We were no match for the warriors they had with them," Sasuke answered.

"Maybe you weren't a match for them," Kasai growled. "Who are you to determine the strength of my men?"

"You know my ability to see the strength of other's chakras," Karin said softly. Kasai looked down at her, his arm around her shoulder slackening slightly. "Hawk speaks the truth. Naruto Uzumaki — the Sage of the Ten Paths — was there." Thankfully, she left out both Sakura and Sai in her description, though she surely recognized them as well. Karin shook her head. "And something else was approaching on the horizon." She stared at Sasuke. "You sensed it too, didn't you?"

"A party of four enormously powerful warriors," Sasuke agreed. He shook his head. "Possibly five, the fifth was a strange presence — not quite there."

"I know what you mean," Karin said. She tugged on Kasai's arm. "I'm hungry. Why don't we go back to the tent."

"We don't have any food in the tent," Kasai argued.

"Think about what we do have in the tent," Karin whispered, her lips brushing against the Earth shinobi's ear.

A sly grin spread across Kasai's rugged, harsh features. "Indeed. Let me fill you up, my pet." He scowled once more in Sasuke and Sakura's general direction. "Don't let your ineptitude interfere with my glory, Hawk."

"You do that well enough on your own," Sasuke muttered under his breath. He was glad to see the backside of the Morrigan's lapdog. Kasai was fanatical and a traitor to his village. It was a mystery what Karin saw in the man. She must have a thing for emotionally unavailable pricks.

The air in front of him began to shimmer and the green mongrel dog from earlier suddenly materialized. The beast shifted to a dark mist and then the robed crone stood in its place. The goddess looked between Sasuke and Sakura with fathomless dark pupil-less eyes.

Before Sasuke could stop the goddess, the dark miasmic mist surrounding Morrigan tried to engulf Sakura. An onyx and crimson aura sprung into existence and surrounded Sakura. The aura blocked the deadly mist.

"Interloper," the Morrigan hissed, knocked back at the force from the protective aura. "Reaper!"

Sakura smiled slowly, but remained silent.

"What's going on?" Sasuke demanded, stepping protectively in front of Sakura to prevent any further aggression on the part of the goddess.

"I have decided that you are not efficient for my needs, Hawk," the Morrigan said. She pushed back her hood, revealing in stark detail the gray, rotting flesh of her face.

Sakura sucked in a breath and Sasuke knew she could see the goddess for the crone that she was, and not be fooled by the illusion of youth and beauty the rebel forces under Arashi saw.

"I transported your entire army," Sasuke argued. "Excepting only the forces you asked me to leave behind."

The Morrigan jerked her head in Sakura's direction. "You have betrayed me!" she accused. "This one has the mark of the Reaper!" The Morrigan waved her wrinkled and gnarled hand imperiously. "I shall call forth a superior Uchiha. One that surpasses even your prowess, Hawk."

The painful pang he felt in his heart earlier was back. Had she found a way to bring back his brother and make him a slave to her whims?

The dark mist surrounding the Morrigan began to grow denser behind her. A form began to grow in size. It was definitely a dark-haired man of about Itachi's height. However, when the man turned, Sasuke recognized him to be the legendary Shisui Uchiha, his cousin, and Itachi's best friend. Shisui had been the best hope for the Uchiha clan before the massacre, but with his death, all hope had been lost for the Uchihas.

It wasn't in Sasuke's nature to be a beacon of hope, and witnessing this perversion of Shisui pissed him off. He knew Naruto wouldn't stand for it and he wasn't going to either - even if it meant standing toe to toe with a goddess. It wouldn't be the first time.

"What have you done?" Sasuke demanded. The snake coiled around his arm hissed angrily towards Shisui.

"It's time for the Wild Hunt!" The Morrigan cackled, her eyes bright with madness.

Shisui looked around, his Sharingan eyes activated. His attention focused on the crows circling in the sky overhead. A sly smile spread across Shisui's thin lips. He vanished and then reappeared seconds later with a crow struggling in his grip. He ripped the bird in half — blood, feathers, and guts exploded outwards.

Sakura gripped Sasuke's shoulder. For a moment, he'd forgotten she was behind him. The protective aura that had surrounded her, now surrounded him. Sasuke felt his breath hitch. He recognized the energy around them. The chakra signature was as familiar to him as his own.

"Time to go," Sakura whispered in his ear.

Sasuke slid his arm around Sakura's waist, hugged her tight against him, and then teleported them out of the rebel camp.

"If that used to be a goddess, she's long lost her sanity," Sakura said.

Sasuke gripped her harder against him, partly in anger and also in part to keep himself standing. Teleporting twice in a short amount of time took a lot of chakra that he hadn't quite replenished. "Why and how is Itachi protecting you?"

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* * *

**OoO**

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Mikhael Arashi was no where amongst the unconscious soldiers in the field. Lucy's newly discovered shinobi cousin, Naruto, had arranged a camp site for their group further north where they would continue their search in the morning.

"He teleported an entire army," Lucy said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"It's a rare skill that only certain members of his clan have had the talent to achieve," Sai explained. He spun a skinned hare that they'd caught earlier over their fire in a slow roast.

"You sure you don't have any fish in your pack?" Happy asked, trying to sniff at the bag Sai had next to him on the ground.

"No fish, but we can catch some later when we get near the lake," Sai said. "If they are salted properly they will keep from spoiling longer."

"You don't have to worry about them lasting long enough not to spoil with Happy around," Natsu assured him. He sat next to Lucy, but was anxious playing with the end of his scarf. "I hate just sitting here while my cousin has been abducted."

"We can cross more ground in the morning using Sai's ink eagles," Naruto explained.

Natsu shuddered. "I'm not a fan of transportation."

Lucy reached for the back of Natsu's hand and stilled it with a gentle squeeze. "Just think of the ink bird as your friend," she suggested.

"It doesn't work that way," Natsu said. He stared down at her hand, his dark eyes unreadable. "I'm surprised Loke hasn't summoned himself back yet."

Lucy slid her hand away from Natsu slowly and gripped her knees. "I'm thinking of visiting the Spirit World. Maybe I can get some answers there."

"Time works different between there and here," Natsu argued. "We can't afford to have you gone for weeks."

"I'll be there an hour maximum. It will be like I stayed the night there and I'll be back before morning," Lucy promised.

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked. "Where do you think you're going? You can teleport?"

"No, but I can call upon one of my Celestial Spirits, or use the power I inherited from Aquarius to visit the Spirit World. Maybe I can find out some answers about Reaper. There must be a reason why another Zodiac was created."

"We should wait for Loke to return. He'll have answers," Natsu argued. He reached over for Lucy and cupped his hand over her shoulder. His grip was warm and strong. "Erza and Gray are still at the Earth ninja camp, I won't have us separated as well."

Lucy wanted to protest, but she could hear the genuine concern and worry in Natsu's voice. However, sitting around the campfire and waiting when she could actively be doing something was torturous.

There was a distinct popping sound to Lucy's left and Virgo appeared. The Maiden bowed at the waist, the chains about her wrists chimed in the movement. "My princess, I sensed your distress."

Naruto stood from the opposite side of the fire and strode towards Virgo, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I neither smelled nor sensed you. How did you get here?"

Virgo straightened her posture and angled herself to be a protective barrier between Lucy and Naruto. "Enemy or foe, my princess?"

"Eh, Virgo, meet my cousin — Naruto. Naruto, this is Virgo, one of my Celestial Spirits and friend," Lucy introduced, hurrying to her feet and moving to stand between the two.

A wry smile spread across Virgo's lips. "Prince," she said, bowing at the waist again. "It is a pleasure to meet you. If you feel I have overstepped, please, do not hesitate to punish me."

"Punish you?" Naruto looked past the pink-haired maid towards Lucy aghast with wide eyes. "You're not cruel to your spirits are you?"

"Oh, no! Prince, do not misunderstand," Virgo hurriedly said, raising her hands out towards him in protest and straightening her posture. "My princess is never cruel, but she is often slack in punishing me for my faults."

Happy shot up in to the air, his white wings fluttered rapidly. "Lucy wants you to bring her to the Spirit World so she can meet the new Zodiac that Loke told us about."

"You are not taking Lucy to the Spirit World," Natsu growled.

Virgo looked between them all in confusion before turning her attention to Sai. "And you, have you nothing to add pale one?"

"I'm just making dinner," Sai answered in a bored tone. He continued to turn the hare over the fire.

"Oh, give that to me," Natsu said. He sucked in a big breath and then exhaled, flame broiling the hare completely. He handed the stick back to Sai with the blackened meat. "It's just a little crispy."

With a sigh, Sai set aside the burnt meal and rooted around in his pouch for a pill. "I'd rather have a soldier pill, since Sakura isn't here to yell at us."

"You better not, there's a reason we save those for reserve," Naruto argued quietly. "Best chew the jerky. It will be easier to tear through than what's left of the hare."

"I could bring you all back to the Spirit World," Virgo offered. "We could have a feast!"

"And lose a month in the process," Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest resolutely. "No, thanks."

"Do you know anything of the Reaper?" Lucy asked. She reached for Virgo's wrists and held her chained hands eagerly. "Who is he? What is he? Loke went to find out ages ago!"

"Oh, Reaper! He's very solemn," Virgo said. "He's brave too — had an audience with the Spirit King without a proper invitation. He has great powers, but I don't know exactly what. He didn't even know. That's why he spoke with the Spirit King."

"Maybe you could bring me to speak with him, just for a few minutes. It will be like a couple of hours here," Lucy suggested.

Virgo pursed her lips. "I'm not sure, princess. Leo is the King of the Zodiacs, and if he is pursuing answers, maybe you should wait for him."

"Reaper isn't interested in being one of your Celestial keys," Naruto said. "I know him well and he is here for a reason."

"You know the Reaper?" Virgo asked in surprise. "But you are not Spirit Mages." She frowned. "But I sense something about you though."

"I'm a sage," Naruto explained. "And what I mean is, we traveled alongside Reaper for several days. He was originally summoned by a necromancer and is on a quest to stop an evil presence. It's the same presence that is somehow responsible for all this battle lust and destruction around us. Since entering this country, we have passed through entire villages either abandoned or slaughtered."

"Then I should speak with the Spirit King. Maybe he knows what's going on," Lucy started.

"No, you will sit here and listen to what I have to tell you," Loke said, suddenly appearing behind them.

"Is Reaper with you?" Lucy asked.

Loke shook his head. "He's not a Zodiac key, Lucy. He's something different, something darker. If he is to belong to a mage, it must be one that is capable of bringing the dead back to life."

Naruto inhaled sharply and exchanged a knowing look with Sai. "Or a very strong healer? One that can heal a thousand people at once?"

"That would be a suitable individual," Loke said slowly. "If such a person existed."

"Oh, she does," Naruto said. He directed his cerulean gaze towards Natsu.

"Sakura?" Natsu asked. "My cousin is a necromancer?"

"No, she simply has the skill to do so if she chose," Sai argued. He chewed on a second slice of jerky and grimaced. He held the remaining half out towards Happy. "If you close your eyes, maybe you can pretend it's salmon."

The Exceed happily snatched the remainder of the jerky and gobbled it eagerly.

Loke pointed towards the pair of black crows that had perched in nearby trees. "Those are Reaper's familiars. He'll be able to find us when he wants to."

"Do you know what is causing all this mayhem?" Sai asked. "For what purpose would a new Celestial Spirit of unusual power exist?"

"I spoke with Reaper. He wanted me to let you know these details," Loke said, looking pointedly at Naruto and Sai. "Apparently, in the past, there was a Reaper. The predecessor was created to act as a balance against a very strong power — a goddess of battle, destruction, and death."

Lucy sat on the ground, crossed her arms over her chest, and rubbed her hands over the sudden goosebumps on her upper arms. This was supposed to be a simple job — find Mikhail Arashi for his uncle and then travel farther east to meet her distant relatives. She accomplished the latter, but an encounter with a deranged goddess wasn't something she wanted to experience.

Natsu crouched next to her and draped his scarf around Lucy's shoulders. She turned to him in surprise, but he'd already risen to his feet. She drew the scarf tighter and appreciate the warmth against the cool air of the night.

"I'm worried, because Reaper is a new Celestial Spirit. This goddess is ancient," Loke said. He paced nervously by the fire. "It might take every Zodiac key that you have, Lucy, to help him." He locked his dark gaze on Natsu. "It would be a good idea to get Gray and Erza. We'll need all the strength we can get."

"I think you're underestimating just what we're capable of," Naruto said.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen:**

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The visuals of Itachi's crow familiars filtered back to the recesses of his mind. He wasn't consciously watching what they saw, but he realized that he could access their observations.

Itachi sat in a high branch of a giant tree in the spirit world. A pair of rambunctious spirits known as the Gemini Twins played near the trunk of the tree below him. They seemed to enjoy imitating others and in the process gained knowledge from that individual. However, they'd both agreed that they didn't want to know whatever it was that Reaper might know.

Over the past hour, Itachi worked on strengthening his connection to the key in Sakura's possession. In doing so, the observation of his crow familiar in Sakura and Sasuke's presence grew in sharp detail. They were in the midst of the enemy's camp. He was glad that they were both relatively safe, in spite of the malevolent aura from the dark goddess.

A deep fear began to gnaw at Itachi's gut when he watched the Morrigan brought Shisui back from the dead. He cousin was caught in some sort of thrall and would have killed both Sasuke and Sakura had his brother not teleported them away. Shisui caught one of Itachi's crow familiars and destroyed it — sharp, stabbing pain throbbed in his temple at the loss. Itachi shifted his focus through another one of his familiars circling the camp of the dark goddess' followers.

He listened to what the crow heard, but the sounds were faint and hard to distinguish. Mostly he watched from the distant vantage point. He was able to hear some of the conversation.

"What would you have of me, mistress?" Shisui rasped. It wasn't the same voice from Itachi's youth. It was something corrupt. It sounded a great deal similar to his father Fugaku's voice whenever he was seething with rage.

"That pet of Hawk's delayed my plans. The number of my sacrifices were greatly diminished," Morrigan hissed. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her thinning, ragged hair in frustration. "I should have just enough though." She held her hands out, the left palm up with the right hand hovering over it and rotating in a small, tight circle. She began to mutter words in a foreign, guttural language that Itachi didn't recognize.

Itachi leaned forward from his perch in the tree, unconsciously trying to hear better, even though he wasn't even in the same realm as the death goddess and his cousin. She must have been referring to the dying villagers that Sakura saved with her healing power. Though, whatever she was doing now was a mystery to him. He doubted that it was anything good for the people of the Earth Country.

The Morrigan pressed her palms against each other. When she pulled them back there was a dark orb of miasmic energy. She shoved the orb into Shisui's chest and he stumbled back.

A black aura surrounded Shisui's body and he popped his neck to either side and grinned at the Morrigan. His shinobi uniform was replaced by deerskin pants, boots, and vest. "Well, I suppose this one isn't a bad fit," he said, in a resonate voice akin to an avalanche.

"Dagna," The Morrigan whispered.

Dagna held his left hand out and a great club with wicked spikes manifested in his grip. He reached out his free right hand for Morrigan's face and caressed her cheek. "My wife, the crone. Shall I go through the camp and increase your sacrifices? With the energy from their deaths, you'll be able to bring about your other aspects."

Morrigan smiled, a cruel twist of her thin lips. "Yes, that will work nicely. Hawk would never agree to help with such an useful task and that pesky soul of his made it impossible to bring you to me." She reached for the front of Dagna's open vest and pulled him towards her, planting a lustful kiss upon his lips.

"Do it," Morrigan said. "You've always been so much better at raising them back. They'll be better warriors without the pesky hindrance of mortality to hold them back."

"As you wish," Dagna said, dipping his head respectfully before he teleported in quick succession throughout the camp. Itachi was hard pressed to follow his actions, but with even a half dozen crows watching from various vantage points he only caught some of the mayhem. His crow familiars wouldn't have been noticed, for hundreds of crows had gathered around the camp sensing death and the meal that would surely follow for the intelligent scavengers. Conveniently enough, The Morrigan also used crows as familiars.

There were protests among the soldiers, but those protesting were quickly cut down as well. It was much worse than the slaughter of the Uchiha clan of which Itachi and Obito had participated, and that had been the worst slaughter Itachi had ever seen. The dead quickly rose from the still warm corpses.

It became obvious just how Itachi's powers as the Reaper would come into play against the war and death goddess and her apparent consort Dagna. The Morrigan had reason to fear him. He worried that she had reason to target Sakura for her power, and Sasuke for his defiance. Alone, they stood no chance. Perhaps working together they might prove victorious.

One of his familiars stayed within visual proximity to The Morrigan. As the death toll mounted, he watched as her body split into two, and formed two separate entities.

The original Morrigan looked the same, but there was a fierce battle hardened female warrior next to her. The second figure was covered in a bright blue paint to her face and arms. Her flaxen colored hair was long and divided into dozens of braids down the length of her back. She held a wicked set of spears in her hands and when she opened her mouth to laugh, blood poured out past her lips, painting teeth, as sharp as Kisame's, bright red.

"It took you long enough, Badb, you old crone," the blue painted woman said in a playful, girlish voice.

"I was delayed, Macha. Soon, with Dagna at our side, we shall be able to call forth Neaim," Badb, the original form of The Morrigan said hoarsely. "You must create more sacrifices. Once we have our sister, we will be unstoppable."

"Hmm," Macha said, twirling her spears casually. "Can I take Dagna's vessel, the Uchiha, with me?"

"No, he is mine," Badb growled.

"I don't see why you're so stingy," Macha pouted. "Dagna is my husband too. Fine, I will take the Arashi boy."

"Kasai's son? Why? What use is he? He is a poor warrior and a poor choice," Badb said. "I only tolerate him because of his father."

"He's important," Macha purred. She began to walk slowly around Badb. "I can sense the desire of some very strong warriors. They want to find him. They will make excellent additions to our army."

"Very well, just make sure you hurry about the sacrifices. The Reaper has returned," Badb warned.

"We'll defeat her this time," Macha assured her. "We won't make the same mistakes."

"The Reaper is a man this time," Badb said. "Somehow related to the girl that stole our sacrifices and she is related somehow to my Hawk."

"You worry too much about men. Do you want your servant back?" Macha asked.

"Hawk? No, I am pleased with his replacement. He is more suited for Dagna. However, Hawk's death would be very useful as would be the death of the girl," Badb said.

"She'll get pregnant and then Neaim will take her in childbirth." Macha shrugged. "What is a few months?"

"You assume we will be able to raise Neaim," Badb said. "It took me three years of bloodshed to awaken Dagna and you."

Macha grinned, her sharp teeth wicked and prominent. "And now you have me to increase the death toll. Before you know it, we'll be on the Wild Hunt!" She began to transform and then took the shape of a black crow. She swooped into the air and aimed her fierce beak directly at Itachi's familiar that had been observing the conversation.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Lucy pretended to sleep and waited for Loke's turn as look out for their small camp. She eased out of her sleeping bag and approached him quietly. He watched her with a raised fiery red eyebrow.

"The way I figure it, if you take me to the spirit world, I'll have roughy ten minutes to find Reaper and speak with him. Five hours will pass here and the sun will just be starting to rise," Lucy whispered.

"I clearly remember the idea being discussed and dismissed as too dangerous," Loke whispered back. "Besides, you don't think I'm the only one on look out, do you? Your newly discovered cousin has several clones in the proximity."

"And I think it's better to beg forgiveness, rather than ask permission," Lucy answered.

Loke grinned. "Spoken like the girl that ran away from home when she was seventeen." He held out his hand. "Okay, let's do this. I'm pretty sure I know where to find Reaper."

Lucy wrapped Natsu's scarf tight around her neck and then took Loke's hand.

They appeared in the Spirit World, standing under a large tree with the Gemini Twins in front of them. They rushed towards Lucy and hugged her enthusiastically. They pointed up into the tree and she craned her neck back to see an unfamiliar celestial spirit in a dark robe. His hood was pushed back to reveal a very handsome face, long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, and dark fathomless eyes.

"You must be Reaper," Lucy said by way of introduction.

"And you're the Lucy Heartfilia so many of the Zodiacs speak so highly of," Reaper answered, his voice deep and resonate. "I am not interested in becoming another key on your belt."

Lucy gaped at him soundlessly. It wasn't her intention to be so presumptuous.

"Nine minutes," Loke whispered in Lucy's ear. He looked up at Reaper. "We only have a few minutes. The situation looks pretty dire back in the human world."

"Yes, I know," Reaper said. "The Morrigan, an ancient goddess of a far-away land, is slaughtering people and raising an army of the undead. She intends to kill any in her way and thrive on the bloodshed." He clenched one of his hands into a fist. "I've got to get back down there."

"Where is your key?" Lucy asked. "You're a new spirit. You can't summon yourself. You'll have to be called by your key-master."

"It's safe," Reaper growled.

"We don't have time for this, Reaper!" Loke cried out. "Just tell Lucy who has your key. She doesn't have to be your master. Maybe she can teach this other person how to summon you."

"How much time do you have?" Reaper asked.

"A few minutes," Lucy answered. "Ten minutes here is five hours in the human world."

There was a shift in the air behind Lucy and Loke. The Gemini Twins whistled nervously. Lucy turned around to see an irate Natsu. She tugged on the scarf she had around her neck. Natsu's scarf was given to him by his foster father, the dragon Igneel. She should have known the magical connection would have allowed him to find her, even to follow her to the Spirit World.

"Natsu," Lucy said weakly.

"I have to get back to them," Reaper said thoughtfully. "Very well. Sakura Haruno has my key. I need to return to her."

"She's my cousin," Natsu said. "We're currently traveling with two of her teammates — Naruto Uzumaki and Sai." He laid his hand solidly over Lucy's shoulder and leaned close to her ear. "We'll discuss this later."

"Small world," Reaper said.

"Naruto is my cousin," Lucy murmured.

"No kidding?" Reaper said, a small smile crossed his lips. He closed his eyes. "I don't know where Sakura is exactly. She's with Sasuke Uchiha and he just teleported them outside of the enemy's camp."

"How do you know that?" Loke asked.

"My familiars," Reaper answered. He frowned, a deep furrow forming between his eyes. "I feel a strange tugging sensation in the pit of my stomach. It's just like when the necromancer…," he trailed off. Then he vanished before their eyes.

"Okay, what just happened?" Natsu asked.

"The impossible," Lucy said. "He was just summoned."

"Not impossible if a spirit mage got a hold of his key. Perhaps one stole the key from Sakura," Loke suggested.

"Or maybe my cousin is capable of the impossible," Natsu suggested. "Now, let's head back." He hooked an arm around both Lucy and Loke's necks. "You two have a lot of explaining to do, but I'd rather do it in our world."

The Gemini Twins giggled and then transformed into Natsu. They waved their finger at Lucy with a scowl on their face. "You're in big trouble, Luuuuuuucy!"


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen:**

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Without a clue as to their location, Sakura paced anxiously. Shortly after their arrival to the mysterious place, Sasuke had fallen unconscious from chakra exhaustion. Even for someone like him, there were limits to his power and consequences from overuse of his Rinnegan's teleportation.

A crack of lightning flashed through the sky and penetrated the gloom of dense forest around them. A deep rumble of thunder shook the ground.

Sakura crouched close to the earth and concentrated her chakra. She wasn't as adept as Yamato at building shelters, but with her earth chakra, she was far from useless. Using the clay within the soil, she created a crude, yet sturdy sturdy refuge from the approaching storm. Feeling a wave of exhaustion overcoming her, Sakura plucked out a soldier pill from her pack to replenish her chakra. It would save her from having to hunt up a meal and offer a temporary solution. She and Sasuke couldn't both be passed out unconscious with a deranged goddess out for their blood.

She checked on Sasuke, laid her cloak over his prone form, and evaluated the brain waves of his unconscious mind. He was out cold and it would be at least a couple of hours before he built up enough chakra and awoke. That gave her a little time to figure out how to answer his question. She couldn't very well betray Itachi's trust in her, but then she didn't want to lie to Sasuke either.

She, Shizune, and Ino had experimented with the concept of removing particular pieces of memory. It was a project that Ibiki had commissioned. Their job was to see if it was possible, but there'd been debate about the moral principles. Ibiki had argued that if their enemies knew how to do so, they needed to know as well. There might be a way to block plugged memories as well as to remove select ones. Shizune had argued that such a method could be used to help soldiers that were debilitated by trauma. Removing the painful memory, might help them return to a normal life.

The project had never gone beyond theory, but now she wondered about attempting to pluck out Sasuke's memory of Itachi's protective aura, then she wouldn't have to answer his questions, and could avoid betraying Itachi's trust. Though, how could she justify assaulting Sasuke's memories like that? If she truly cared about him, then she'd never betray him in such a way.

Rain began to fall outside, pounding against the shelter she'd created. Sakura pulled Reaper's onyx key out, sat near Sasuke's feet, and drew her knees to her chest. The key didn't seem particularly special. It was pretty, for a key. The onyx coating of the key had fine engravings of a pair of crows and a scythe along the bow and shaft.

She rubbed her thumb over one of the crows on the bow and closed her eyes. The sounds of the storm outside fell away from her consciousness as she became absorbed in the images in her mind. She could see from the eyes of a crow soaring through the sky. She could see the rebel camp from before, the bird's focus rested upon a young man. While the others around him were busy sharpening their kunai and swords, he scribbled furiously in a journal.

The young man stood abruptly, his pen fell to the ground in his haste. All around him, sounds of screaming, pain, and death rose in a terrifying crescendo. Then Sakura's vision blurred and when she blinked, she no longer saw the world from the crow's point of view. She was back in the earthen shelter, somehow she'd pricked her thumb on the key, and Itachi stood before her.

"How?" Sakura asked, her voice a dry croak. She healed the minor injury of her thumb without a second thought.

"You summoned me," Itachi answered, his brow furrowed. "I didn't think that was possible."

"I—-are you sure?" Sakura asked. "I was just holding the key…," she trailed off thoughtfully. "And then I pricked my finger."

"Perhaps the blood served as a contract between us," Itachi reasoned. "Interesting."

"While I was holding the key, I saw a scene back at the rebel camp. It seemed as if I was seeing through the eyes of the crows. Then, my vision cleared and you're here."

"It seems we were both accessing the visions of my familiars," Itachi said. "What did you see?" He looked towards Sasuke's unconscious form briefly, then turned his attention back to Sakura.

Sakura swallowed nervously under the intensity of Itachi's gaze. He hardly paid Sasuke any attention. It wasn't the reaction she expected to see once the two brothers were reunited. She shook her head quickly and tried to focus on his question.

"A young man, not much more than a boy really, he was writing in a journal of some sort," Sakura explained. "Then there was a terrible outcry. Death fell heavily upon the rebel camp from something I couldn't see, but it was brutal and merciless." She stared at Sasuke's face, so peaceful in his slumber. What would have happened, if he hadn't teleported out when he did?

Itachi rubbed his jaw. "That must have happened after Lucy found me. I didn't see that scene."

"Lucy?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto's cousin — apparently," Itachi answered. "On his father's side, I assume, with the blond hair. Not too much is known about the Namikazes." He started to say something else, hesitated, and then closed his mouth firmly shut.

"Do you know what the Wild Hunt is?" Sakura ran her hands over her arms, trying to ward off a sudden chill.

"Nothing good." Itachi leaned against the wall of the shelter. He stared at Sakura for a long while. A muscle in his jaw visibly tightened and he pushed away from the wall. He held his hands in front of him and a ball of red flames burst into existence. It quickly dissolved, but left his hands warm.

He crouched in front of Sakura and started to run his palms over her arms, warming the chill immediately. "I saw the foreign goddess summon another god, and he took over Shisui's body. Then she split into another goddess — a younger one with a pair of spears. Apparently, they intend to summon a third goddess, another aspect of themselves. I can only think, that if we allow all three aspects a chance to be resurrected that it will be the end of the world as we know it. I can't allow that to happen. I owe my current existence to stopping the threat that poses."

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked. She stared pointedly at his hands.

Itachi drew his hands back immediately and scowled. "It seems that it distresses me seeing you suffer, even from something as minor as a chill. It must be because of the key."

"Ah," Sakura said, her cheeks heated in embarrassment. "Well, thanks. But, I'm fine." She smiled awkwardly at Itachi. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bleed on your key. I thought it was pretty smooth. I wouldn't have thought there was anything to cut myself on."

Itachi sat on the ground lotus-style near Sasuke's head. "It was probably fated," he murmured. "It seems like many things are fated in my life as of late." He reached over and brushed Sasuke's hair away from his closed eyes. He pulled away Sakura's cloak and examined his brother's left prosthetic arm. "What happened?"

"You mean now? Why is he unconscious? Or the arm?" Sakura asked.

"The arm. I saw most of what happened with my familiars," Itachi answered.

"In the final battle against Naruto after they worked together to defeat Kaguya, the Rabbit goddess," Sakura answered, her voice tinged with annoyance at the memory. "It was the Chidori versus the Rasengan. The result — both the idiots lost an arm from the elbow down. They'd have died from blood loss, if I hadn't arrived when I did."

Itachi turned back towards her, his dark eyes unreadable. "Were they still trying to kill each other when you arrived?"

She shook her head. "No, and to be clear, Sasuke was the one with deadly intent. Naruto was trying to reason with him. By the time I arrived, they'd made up. Sasuke even apologized to me, while I was busy keeping them from dying. Master Tsunade worked hard to create them prosthetics using technology from her grandfather, the First Hokage."

Itachi snorted. "At least, he apologized."

"To Naruto, me, and Kakashi. He never really repented for his actions against anyone else. He justified it by the wrongs Danzo and the Village placed upon you," Sakura explained.

"I was a ninja. If it benefited the village to consider me a traitor while I could take down the enemy by other methods, then so be it." He stared at Sasuke, frowning slightly. "For all his intelligence, he never understood that. The duty of a ninja is to the village first and his clan second. If Shisui had lived, it would have been different."

"The goddess brought Shisui back. Maybe he can fight it. Naruto told me how you were able to defeat Kabuto's resurrection orders," Sakura suggested.

"An inadvertently placed jutsu allowed that fortuitous result," Itachi explained. "Besides, the goddess only resurrected my cousin to serve as a vessel for another god. Even with Shisui's superior heart and will, it is simply impossible. She brought back his body and his muscle memory, not his heart and spirit."

Sakura stared at Itachi as he hovered near his brother. In spite of the closeness of their bodies, she felt a distinct distance between Itachi and Sasuke. Considering that everything Itachi did in life was to protect Sasuke, it seemed strange that he would seem so little concerned with the fact that he was unconscious.

"What exactly are you to Sasuke?" Itachi asked, startling Sakura with his blunt question. He met her gaze with dark, unreadable eyes. "I know you were former teammates and classmates. I understand his relationship with Naruto — rivals and friends."

"I used to be one of a gaggle of girls with a crush on him back in school. He was always so calm and collected. And he was good at everything." Sakura stared down at her hands and smiled faintly. "I was smarter than him when it came to studying, but then he had an advantage with his photographic memory, didn't he?"

"The Uchihas often took advantage of their Sharingan to memorize, but many don't activate their ocular powers in time to help them with the didactics of the academy. I'm afraid Sasuke studied the books the same as you," Itachi said. "So, you were academic rivals?"

"He didn't care about academics. He was more concerned with ninja skills and he was the best at that in our generation, with the possible exception of Neji Hyuuga." Sakura shrugged. "I didn't have much talent in the ninja arts, until we learned chakra control." A smile tugged on her lips as she remembered the day Kakashi taught them the skill and she outshone both her famous teammates.

"He cared for you as children," Itachi said. "He wouldn't have left the village if his feelings for his teammates hadn't threatened to quell his need for revenge."

"Yesterday, he told me that he loved me," Sakura whispered.

"You saved his life and trained under the impressive Sannin Tsunade. He has great respect for you, which is saying a lot. However, Sasuke is damaged. I'm sorry, Sakura, but I don't think he's capable of love," Itachi said, his voice laced with sorrow. "Though, whatever his feelings for you and Naruto prevented him from being completely tempted by the darkness dwelling within his spirit."

Sakura snorted and folded her arms over her chest defensively. "How would you know? It's not like you've been around to see how he is. And frankly, you don't seem too concerned that he's passed out from chakra exhaustion. Maybe, it's you that knows nothing of love."

"You could be right," Itachi answered blandly. "And from what I've learned, Celestial Spirits are generally not reunited with the individuals from their mortal life. Sasuke isn't the baby brother I had to protect. He's a grown man. My purpose is to defeat The Morrigan and apparently to protect the keeper of my key."

Itachi stood and walked towards Sakura, where he stood looming over her. "I do understand duty, Sakura Haruno."

"I understand duty," Sakura scoffed. "I'm in ANBU."

Itachi snorted in amusement. "Hardly. You're too precious to Kakashi. He wouldn't risk you and Naruto as true ANBU members. I've known Hatake a long time too. We were on the same ANBU squad in our youth. What exactly have been your missions as ANBU?"

"Peace missions. The five shinobi nations are united. It's not the same as when you were young," Sakura argued.

"ANBU does the dirty work — assassinations and other dark things. The masks aren't fashion accessories. The masks hide their identities and protect themselves from being charged with war crimes." He smiled at her sadly. "You should be glad for the protection Hatake allowed you."

Sakura grit her teeth. She worked hard to qualify for ANBU. Itachi was implying that they weren't cut out for the position and that Kakashi had played favorites. "Are you saying that we're wearing ANBU masks because we're celebrity shinobi? Or because we're Kakashi's friends?"

"Both," Itachi said. "Be glad that you aren't a cold-hearted murderer, Sakura. It is a good thing."

"Of course, it's a good thing," Sakura grumbled. She pulled the key out and stared at it, wondering if she could send Itachi away. "Does this mean, you're going to explain to Sasuke about why your aura was protecting us earlier? I can't keep my promise to you and be honest with him."

"I know my words made you uncomfortable," Itachi said quietly. "I apologize for that. It was not my intention to belittle your accomplishments. Being ANBU doesn't make someone a better ninja. It only helps you lose your humanity faster."

"And about my promise to you?" Sakura pressed. She rubbed at her eyes, feeling a heavy exhaustion settling over her. The soldier pill wasn't enough to replenish her lost energy from all the recent healing and stress.

Itachi sighed heavily. "A promise should not be undone. I will stay until he wakes up and explain myself. I have a feeling it will take all of us working together to defeat the threat of Morrigan."

"Alright," Sakura agreed. She resisted a smile, grateful that she wouldn't have to lie to Sasuke or betray Itachi.

Itachi closed his eyes briefly and a shadow clone of himself manifested. "I will step out to find some decent food. You need to sleep. My clone will watch over you until I can return." He gestured vaguely towards the wall of the shelter. "There a couple of familiars in the area as well serving as guards."

"That's hardly necessary," Sakura protested.

"I did mention that your safety is one of my priorities?" Itachi snapped, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Don't argue and make this unnecessarily more difficult. I'll be back shortly. There's no reason you shouldn't rest. If you're mentally fatigued and running on emergency soldier pills, you will make a mistake."

His clone sat next to Sasuke in Itachi's former position. The clone picked up Sakura's cloak from near Sasuke and tossed it to her. "The fate of the known world might rest in our hands. Are you going to risk that for the sake of winning an argument?"

Sakura caught the cloak and glared at him. "Arguing with you is infuriating," she grumbled. She looked him in the eyes, forgetting that the Sharingan is something that direct eye contact should be avoided.

"Best not to do it, and simply accept that I am usually right," Itachi said. His Sharingan swirled and before she even could disrupt the genjutsu, Itachi had put her into a deep sleep.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen:**

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The plunge from the Spirit World back to Earthland was disorienting. The sky glowed with the early yellow light of the rising sun. Not only had Natsu broken the rules again and entered the realm without a celestial spirit guide, but he also managed to bring them back. They stood in the center of the cold ashes from their campsite's long extinguished fire.

"I cannot believe you would do that!" Natsu scowled. He stood before Lucy with both hands on her shoulders. He stared intently into her eyes, his dark gaze bright with a mixture of anger and fear. "You promised that you wouldn't leave!"

"I know," Lucy whispered, shuffling her booted feet, stirring up the ashes on the ground. The ashes danced around them, bursting into cinders fueled by Natsu's fire magic. The fire might have burnt her, but she was protected by Natsu's touch as it formed a protective barrier between the fire and her tender flesh.

Guilt for her deception nagged at her conscience. Natsu didn't ask much of her, but honesty was paramount with him. He wasn't simple-minded, but rather blunt and without pretenses. She averted her eyes, avoiding the hurt expression on his face. She tugged anxiously on the ends of his scarf, still wrapped around her neck. "I had to get some answers."

Rough lips brushed across her brow. "I was so worried," Natsu said. He drew her close and crushed her against him in a desperate hug. "You belong to me," he growled, his voice rumbled through his chest into hers. His warm hands now rested between her shoulder blades and at the small of her back. "You're my partner. Mine to protect." The floating cinders began to cool and fall to the earth as Natsu calmed down.

With a surge of emotions, Lucy's vision blurred with unshed tears. She wanted to shout that she belonged to no one, but it would be a lie. If the red string of fate was a real thing, there was no doubt that her string was tied to Natsu. He was the one that found her after she left her home. He brought her to Fairy Tail.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked worriedly. He stared down at Lucy's tears in panic. "Are you hurt?"

Lucy shook her head and smiled. "It's silly. You and I traveled all this way, so we could meet our families." She lifted her hand to caress the side of Natsu's face. "You're my family, Natsu. You belong to me too."

Natsu mouth went slack at her words. He swallowed thickly. "Luce," he whispered hoarsely, his grip on her tightened. He angled his head to the side and drew close to her, his lips millimeters from hers.

"Hey! What's going on?" Naruto demanded, his tone sharp with irritation. "Happy has been freaking out since you two left."

Natsu abruptly leaned back, his cheeks stained red by a fierce blush. Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath to ease her disappointment at the untimely interruption.

Lucy peeked over Natsu's shoulder and saw her newly discovered relation glaring back at them. By the expression on Naruto's face, she could tell the interruption was timed intentionally, as if by an overly protective big brother. "Sorry," she apologized, the word muffled against Natsu's chest. She drew back just enough to look Natsu directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry," she repeated to him.

"I forgive you," Natsu said quietly, a faint smile tugged upon his lips.

"Natsu! Lucy!" Happy flew past Naruto and hovered alongside Natsu and Lucy with his pale white wings beating frantically. "You've been gone for hours!" His lip quivered with emotion. "How could you leave me?"

"You can blame Lucy for that," Natsu said, releasing Lucy from his hold. He grinned at his long-time partner. "Don't worry, Happy. I'll always come back for you. We're best friends."

"Did you at least find out anything?" Naruto asked. "Did you talk to Reaper? Does he know what happened to Sakura?"

"Where is Sai? And yes, I did find Reaper," Lucy confirmed. "He didn't say anything about your friend, but it looked like he was summoned. Does she have his key?"

Naruto nodded. "Sai is flying around making sure we're not about to be ambushed by enemy assassins. You think Sakura summoned Reaper?"

"I don't know how. She's not a celestial spirit mage, but maybe it's possible," Lucy said. "Loke would know more about that than I."

"What else did Reaper say?" Natsu asked. "You were gone for a long time."

"We only spoke for a minute or two before you showed up," Lucy protested. "Reaper said that The Morrigan is responsible for the bloodshed in this land. She is a goddess from a distant land that is raising an army of the undead."

"Anything else?" Naruto asked when Lucy fell silent.

"No. He was interrupted and vanished from the Spirit World," Lucy explained.

"Ugh!" Naruto cried out. He clutched either side of his golden head in frustration. "Another goddess? Where's Shikamaru when I need him?"

"What is Shikamaru?" Happy asked. "It sounds like a kind of sushi dish!"

"He's my friend that is a genius at strategizing. He's not sushi," Naruto added with a wary smile. He rubbed his face, soothing out the fox whiskers on his cheeks. "I've faced a goddess before, but I had help from my friends — Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and Obito."

"And now you have us," Sai said, swooping down from the air on an ink bird that disintegrated once he landed on the ground.

"What's your report?" Naruto asked.

"There is something unnatural about the dawn," Sai admitted.

"What do you mean?" Lucy glanced towards the rising sun. "It looks pretty normal to me."

"It is far from normal. Exactly how many sunrises have you seen before?" Sai asked.

"One or two," Lucy admitted sheepishly. "I don't usually wake up so early."

"Sai is an artist. So if there is something wrong in the appearance, he would notice," Naruto explained. He glanced towards the dawn. "What's that red streak?"

"The red streak is the problem," Sai said.

Lucy narrowed her eyes and saw what might have been a line of red separating the bluish-gray of the night sky and the yellow glow of the rising sun. A second red streak formed, followed by a third.

"What does it mean?" Natsu asked. "Does it mean a storm?"

"Red sky at morning does indicate foul weather," Sai said. "However, that isn't cloud accumulation. It's some sort of army in the sky."

Lucy's hands trembled and she quickly fisted them at her sides. She'd been through her share of battles, but this time felt more ominous. To think something she saw as a pretty sunrise was in fact war racing towards them! She flicked her gaze towards Natsu, but instead of worry in his dark eyes, she saw excitement.

Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I guess the action is about to begin!"

"I can make a lot of clones," Naruto said. "However, even I know that the five of us cannot take on an entire army that we know nothing about."

Happy preened at being included by Naruto.

"How far are they?" Lucy asked, licking her lips nervously.

"From here? Two hours, maybe. Probably less. From the Tsuchikage? Four hours." Sai turned towards Naruto. "Shall we head back to the Tsuchikage?"

"Yes," Naruto agreed. "Our mission priority is to stabilize this land and help end the civil war. We need to offer support to Kurotsuchi and her loyalists."

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* * *

**OoO**

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Sasuke woke up, feeling refreshed and energized, which was unusual. Normally, after utilizing his teleportation powers too much, he felt hung-over with a massive tension headache. The lack of pain brought clarity and he remembered perfectly that Sakura was with him. Only her healing touch could do this.

He sat up, ready to demand answers from Sakura, but he found himself speechless. Sakura was asleep two meters away from him, but his attention was focused on the gray figure standing in the corner.

Stepping out of the shadows, the familiar features of his elder brother were revealed.

"Impossible," Sasuke whispered, rising to stand. Instinctively, he took up a defensive stance. Whatever this thing was that looked like his brother, it was dangerous.

"It's not," Itachi answered, the familiar tones of his deep tenor voice were like a knife in the heart. He shifted closer to Sasuke, revealing the uncanny resemblance to the Uchiha genius. "However, you working for a goddess of death — that is impossible."

Sasuke's eyes flickered towards Sakura as he calculated whether or not he could reach her side before his brother's replica could do so.

"I won't be harming her," Itachi said in annoyance. "I'm her protector."

"The aura," Sasuke reasoned. He shook his head. "How is this possible? Are you some sort of protective ghost?"

"Spirit would be more appropriate," Itachi explained, drawing closer. "I am the Reaper. And I exist to stop the untimely deaths caused by The Morrigan. You were at her side and now you reek of death. Have you fallen so low?"

They were of the same height and appeared to be of similar ages. It was hard to grasp the concept that he might be as mature as his elder brother — at least his elder brother's spirit.

Itachi reached out and poked Sasuke on the forehead. He could have dodged, but the affectionate gesture was reassuring. Belatedly, he knocked Itachi's finger aside. Itachi's actions didn't match his accusation. Sakura must have explained some of his involvement while he was unconscious.

"The Morrigan has the power to bring back the dead and make them her slaves. She threatened to do so with our parents and later threatened my friends," Sasuke explained. "I wondered why she didn't threaten to bring you back." He scanned his eyes over his brother's form. The replica was perfect. "I see now that she couldn't."

"I was transformed after death," Itachi agreed. "But, she did bring back Shisui."

"How did you know?" Sasuke asked.

"I have familiars," Itachi explained.

"The crows," Sasuke said with a nod. "She tried to kill Sakura and me with Shisui."

"That was for show," Itachi said. "What she really wanted was a suitable host for her consort, Dagna."

"Now we have two gods? Great," Sasuke grumbled.

"Three," Sakura interjected. She sat up and Sasuke rushed to her side. She flinched at his nearness and he drew back. "Reaper said that she split into a second goddess and that they spoke of another."

"Four," Itachi corrected. "A third goddess gains strength through the childbirth of humans and animals," Itachi said. "I must stop her from being created. If all three come into existence along with the god, I am unsure if I will be able to defeat them."

"Why do you think you're supposed to defeat them?" Sasuke asked. "This isn't your war."

"On the contrary. I exist to counter The Morrigan's power. Another spirit once donned the role of Reaper and was successful in weakening the goddess, but not destroying her," Itachi explained. "I must do better."

"Over-achiever," Sakura muttered.

Sasuke smirked at the comment.

Itachi pulled out his scythe and Sasuke stiffened at the sheer dark energy from the weapon.

"With this, I should be able to separate Shisui from Dagna," Itachi reasoned.

"We should reconnect with Naruto and the others," Sakura said. "The Tsuchikage needs to warned what she's really facing."

"It's too risky," Sasuke said. "We'll just get more people killed."

Itachi strapped the scythe back over his shoulder and pulled out his sword. He inspected its blade with a critical eye. "The reason I failed in life, was because I tried to accomplish everything on my own," Itachi said quietly. He swung the blade around twice and then sheathed it across his back alongside the scythe. "It wasn't until I started trusting other people to help me, that I began to succeed." His dark eyes stared down at Sasuke, seeming to look right through him. "We defeated Kabuto together."

"And it was Team Seven that defeated Kaguya," Sakura added. "Along with Obito."

"Very well," Sasuke agreed. "I couldn't defeat her when there was just one goddess to contend with. We'll need reinforcements."

Itachi cleared his throat. "We'll be needing more than ninjas with powerful abilities. We will both need to summon our Susanoos, but we will also need the strength of mages."

"We should regroup with the others," Sakura suggested.

"No," Itachi argued. He reached behind his head and pulled up his hood, covering his face in shadow, the weapons across his back vanished, as if tucked neatly away into some other dimension. "I can sense a great swell in negative energy to the north of here. Death looms heavily."

"More battles? We left the rebel army to the south," Sasuke said.

"The approaching deaths are overwhelming newborn babes and young women," Itachi said. His nose wrinkled in disgust. "As well as kittens and puppies."

"The goddess of childbirth," Sakura whispered.

"Can you give me the coordinates?" Sasuke asked. "I have enough energy to teleport again."

"Will you be able to fight?" Sakura asked in concern.

"Assuming you'll be there to charge me back up," Sasuke said.

"I don't work that way," Sakura scowled. "That's Karin's powers."

"You won't need to fight, little brother," Itachi said. "This is a battle that Sakura and I are better suited for." His gaze lingered on Sakura for a few awkward seconds. He looked back at Sasuke and nodded, his hood dipping lower over his face. "I can give you the coordinates."

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* * *

**OoO**

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"You could have had your own bird," Lucy said, gently rubbing Natsu's back. He sat in front of of her blocking the wind on one of Sai's giant ink birds. The birds flew faster than before with the approaching army on the horizon. It was hard to believe that a half hour before, she'd almost been kissed by her best friend. Maybe it was for the best that the kiss didn't happen, but she still nursed a strong disappointment over it.

Overhearing her conversation, Naruto glanced over towards her and Natsu's transportation. He caught Lucy's eye and then shot her a thumb's up while Happy sat on his shoulder chattering. The two got along quite well, though their conversations about fish and ramen grew disturbing.

"Not—letting—you—out—of—my—sight—again," Natsu gasped, taking breaks to keep his nausea at bay.

She pulled the scarf off her and wrapped it around Natsu, looping it snugly around his neck. "Maybe this will help," she said.

"Thanks," Natsu said, patting the token from Igneel reassuringly. "Gray is never going to let me live this down," he groaned.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"Having to run back to the loyalist base for reinforcements. We still haven't found Mikhail," Natsu complained.

"I think he will be understanding," Lucy argued. "Only a fool would face off against a legion of unknown powers and capabilities." She chuckled as she imagined Gray and Erza's eager faces in regards to the upcoming battle. "I suspect he will be impressed that you exercised restraint and caution."

Natsu scoffed. "I doubt that." He groaned. "I'm just frustrated that we still haven't found my family. She's still out there and in danger!"

Lucy highly doubted that was all the fire dragon slayer was frustrated about. "Naruto and Sai seem to care about her a great deal. They have faith in her ability to survive," Lucy said. "And if Reaper was summoned by her, then she has at least one powerful ally at her side."

They traveled in silence for half an hour before Natsu spoke again. His voice was strained by the effort of controlling his motion sickness. "What do you think of Naruto? Is he what you had hoped for?"

"I'm not sure how we're related exactly," Lucy argued. Given the number of generations between when her mother's ancestors emigrated from the Fire Country and now; chances were they were some sort of third or fourth cousin. "It is nice to know I'm not all alone anymore, no matter how distant our relation might be though."

"I hope I meet Sakura soon, and Uncle Kizashi, and whoever my aunt is," Natsu admitted.

"Maybe if her healing powers are as strong as Naruto and Sai claim, then maybe she can do something about this nausea of yours," Lucy suggested.

"If Wendy couldn't do it, not sure there is anything she can do either," Natsu grumbled, burying his face against the ink bird's neck as it dipped down for a descent.

They had arrived at the loyalist's base and it was only a matter of too precious little time before the terror in the sky caught up with them. They would make a stand to save the Earth Country from total annihilation by The Morrigan and her army.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen:**

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Utilizing the power of Sasuke's newly charged Rinnegan, the two brothers and Sakura teleported to a seemingly desolate village that was saturated in an atmosphere of deep grief and untimely death. The coppery scent of blood lingered and there was not a soul to be heard.

Itachi reached behind his back for the handle of his soul-reaping scythe. He gripped the smooth, dense wood, but didn't draw the weapon. From the corner of his eye, he spied a moving shadow. He turned towards it, but only a stray onyx feather floating to the ground indicated the presence of something.

It wasn't the feather of one of his crows, but of another familiar entity. Itachi's jaw clenched and he scanned the area for Death. The streets were empty, the market closed, and not even a stray animal roamed.

"All the houses are shuttered," Sasuke commented. He rubbed his left eye, the Rinnegan. "Damn headache."

"It looks like a village quarantined against plague," Sakura said. She met Itachi's gaze, her jade eyes bright with worry. "Let me help," she said, stepping in front of Sasuke. Her hand glowed green with healing chakra as she raised it to brush her fingers against Sasuke's temple and over his closed eyelid.

Sasuke gripped Sakura's wrist gently and pulled it away from his eye. "That's unnecessary, but appreciated," he said. "Save your chakra for real emergencies."

Sakura scowled. "I'm not so frail." She yanked her arm away from Sasuke and the purple marking on her forehead expanded to cover her entire face and down her neck in intricate lines.

"Unfair," Sasuke complained with a sigh. "I'm trying to protect you from chakra over-use and you pull out the Mitotic Regeneration?"

"Tsunade's technique?" Itachi asked, surprised to learn that another had mastered the highly advanced Creation Rebirth technique devised by the former Hokage. Perhaps, if he had known Sakura before his death, she might have been able to heal the damage done to his lungs, preventing his premature and painful death — a vivid memory he wasn't likely to forget. He'd have preferred Sasuke killed him in their battle, rather than the sheer physical exertion of that battle causing him to suffocate.

A weak meow sounded from under one of the nearby buildings. Sasuke crept over towards the area and crouched to peer underneath. "Shit," he cursed.

Sakura hurried to his side and gasped at what she saw. The power from her Mitotic Regeneration pulsed and the weak meow was replaced with an angry hiss. A heavily pregnant cat slithered from under the building and ran quickly away.

"Ungrateful, stupid cat," Sasuke grumbled.

"She is just being scared and protective," Sakura chided. "You should understand better than most how one lashes out at those trying to help them."

Sasuke opened his mouth to rebuke her statement, but closed it wordlessly.

A high-pitched wail of despair pierced the quiet stillness of the village.

"I sense several injured people," Sakura murmured. She started in the direction of the cry towards what appeared to be the hospital.

"She's spent too much time with Naruto. Now he's got her recklessly rushing into things," Sasuke grouched. He ran off after her.

Itachi lingered, watching the two run off. As he stayed behind witnessing their urgency and the communion between his brother and Sakura, he understood why Celestial Spirits didn't typically interact with those from their past life. It was a painful reminder that he no longer belonged. Though, at least for a while, his talents could serve a purpose.

He stood immobile while he wondered what life would have been like if his clan hadn't decided to rebel against their village. If he hadn't been forced into taking a covert mission where he was absent, would he have watched Sasuke and Sakura grow up to be finely tuned teammates alongside Naruto? It was all pointless to ponder, but Itachi couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as he saw Sakura and Sasuke grow faint in the distance.

His gut twisted with an ominous premonition. He focused on his key in Sakura's possession and then manifested in front of her instantaneously. She slammed straight into his chest and he steadied her with his hands upon her shoulders. "Wait," Itachi hissed, releasing her. "There is a great danger. I will go first."

Sasuke caught up with them and directed a suspicious glare at Itachi. He pulled his sword from the sheath across his back and stepped past the two of them, heedless of the warning. He kicked open the door to the main ward.

The large hallway was lined with rows and rows of hospital beds. A few were empty, but three-quarters were full of patients — some were injured soldiers, the weak elderly, young children with high-fevers, and a half-dozen laboring mothers to be. All of the patients, lingered at the cusp of death, too weak to move or protest. Three midwives, enshrouded in a dark purple miasma, rushed between the women in labor.

"The risk of contagion is stupendous," Sakura whispered in shock. "Only a fool would place infectious patients near the immune-suppressed."

"Or a goddess that thrives off the deaths achieved during childbirth," Sasuke reasoned. He vanished in the blink of an eye and teleported in front of the trio of midwives. They stared at him in dumbfounded shock a moment, before their voices in unison rose high in an inhuman screech. Their eyes locked onto Sasuke's Sharingan and were caught in a genjutsu, the echoes of the screams reverberated through the hall.

None of the patients had stirred during the commotion.

Sasuke reappeared beside Itachi and Sakura. "That should last a while. Now, the real question is where are the medics?"

"Dying," Sakura said, gesturing towards four slumped figures piled into the room's far corner. She started towards them, but Itachi stopped her with a firm hand upon her shoulder. She tried to shrug him off, but his grip was too strong.

"Allow me. I must separate the goddess's influence from them first. Then you can heal them. Otherwise, you will be infected by the miasma," Itachi explained, releasing her shoulder. "Well done on the Tsukuyomi Sasuke, but I'm afraid it won't last more than a few minutes with the goddess's poison so deeply ingrained in them."

"You're right," Sasuke said. "I can already feel an outside influence helping them to break through the illusion." He reached for Sakura's wrist. "We'll let you do your thing."

Itachi left Sakura in Sasuke's hands, trusting his brother to keep her from rushing foolishly into action. He moved towards the medics, his scythe held out and ready. He needed to detach the dark aura from their spirits, before Sakura could heal them.

He stood before the medics and slashed his scythe over them, releasing the dark goddess's influence.

They began to heal immediately, a green glow about them from Sakura's healing power as she worked remotely.

The screeching chorus of the midwives began anew; Sasuke's genjutsu was broken. Hovering over the three women was a partially formed feminine spirit.

"You dare to interfere with Neaim!" one of the midwives screamed. She picked up a brutal looking surgical knife and started towards the exposed belly of one of the laboring mothers. "A sacrifice will suffice."

Sasuke was suddenly at the woman's side, knocking aside the knife and protecting the unconscious mother-to-be. He struggled with the midwife as she was made more powerful by the goddess.

One of the other women awoke with a scream of intense pain and began the final pushes to deliver an infant.

Sakura pushed back the second midwife, punching her through the wall. She coated the laboring mother with healing chakra as the babe was brought into the world.

Itachi dealt with the third midwife, grabbing her and sifting through dimensions so that he could deposit her onto the roof seemingly instantaneously. He quickly returned to the hall before either of his allies even recognized his absence.

Sakura held the silent baby and a line attached it like an umbilical cord to the half-formed goddess. "Stop this!" Sakura cried out. "You're supposed to be a protective goddess! You've been corrupted!"

Itachi used his scythe to severe the link between the infant and the half-formed goddess. The baby immediately began to cry a healthy scream.

"Kaguya, was originally the Rabbit goddess and she was benevolent at first," Sakura hurriedly explained as she cradled the baby girl. She handed the child over to a wide-eyed Sasuke while she tended the mother. "She was corrupted by the consumption of the Shinju fruit. Maybe the same has happened in this case."

"Do not address the goddess," Itachi warned. "You might empower her more."

"The babe is healthy," Neaim said in a melodic tone. A peaceful pulse of power rose from her, different from the dark miasma throughout the hospital. The peace was shattered by an intense anger. Another dark connection formed between the goddess and one of the other laboring mothers.

"Neaim, you are the goddess of childbirth!" Sakura shouted.

Itachi growled under his breath at her blatant disregard of his warning. The dark connection shifted from the laboring mother to wrap around Sakura. She crumbled to the ground and struggled for breath. He raised his scythe and jumped into the air, bringing the blade to swipe through the half-formed goddess. The miasma vanished from Sakura.

Sasuke crouched beside Sakura. He held the newborn cradled in one arm and wrapped his prosthetic arm around Sakura's shoulders and drew her close against his side. "You okay?"

Sakura nodded, her breathing tightly controlled.

Neaim stared down at Itachi, her dark eyes focused with intelligence. "Reaper? You have returned," she murmured. She stared down at her would-be victims. "Why am I here? These women paid no homage to me."

"You are very far from home," Itachi explained. He steadied his grip on the scythe. "I can send you back."

The moment of clarity for Neaim vanished and all Itachi could feel was a great sense of foreboding from her. "I think not, Reaper. I hunger!" A dark spirit connection formed between the goddess of childbirth and the five pregnant women and the new mother.

"Enough," Itachi said. He swiped his weapon through her form, severing the connections. She stared at him a moment longer, the intelligence back in her eyes, before she vanished out of the realm of the living.

"Is she gone?" Sakura asked.

"I can no longer sense her," Itachi answered. He braced his hand on the wall, feeling disoriented. He felt the pull of the Spirit World. "I cannot stay. Sasuke, Sakura, you must complete the mission. They can be stopped and they must be stopped. Find Lucy Heartfilia. She travels in the company of Naruto and Sai. She will help you summon me to the battlefield."

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* * *

**OoO**

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"Gone again," Sasuke muttered.

Sakura blinked in surprise at the empty spot where Itachi had only seconds before stood. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that." She laid her head against Sasuke's shoulder for a brief moment to collect herself and then straightened. "I need to help these people."

"Help the medics, they can sort this out," Sasuke countered. He stared down at the newborn in his arms. Her dark blue eyes stared at him wonderingly. "And what do I do with this thing?"

"Have you never held a baby before?" Sakura asked. She checked the pulse of the new mother and utilized her healing powers to rouse her to consciousness. The women blinked up at her in confusion. "Congratulations. You have a healthy baby girl."

"I'm so glad," the woman whispered, her voice trembled with emotion. "Can I hold her?"

Sakura gestured for Sasuke and he held out the newborn. Sakura took the girl and placed her on her mother's chest where she snuggled against her mother's throat contentedly. The mother folded her arms protectively over the baby.

"This isn't exactly how I pictured our first mission together after all this time would be," Sasuke murmured.

"Defeating another goddess with the help of your deceased brother?" Sakura asked with a delicately arched eyebrow. She smiled at the exacerbated sigh that escaped Sasuke's lips.

"Just don't waste time trying to heal everyone," Sasuke answered gruffly. "We still have three other gods to stop before they wipe out all the people of Iwagakure."

"Healing someone is never a waste of time," Sakura argued.

"I have a general idea where the loyalist camp is. Do you know the location?"

"Yes," Sakura answered. The medics were fine. She had healed their exhaustive states and given them mental clarity. They started to attend to the regular patients.

"Good. Tell me and I'll teleport us there," Sasuke said.

"Then you'll be too exhausted to fight," Sakura worried.

"Not if Naruto's there," Sasuke protested. "And this Lucy person should be with him. We'll be able to bring Itachi back into the fight and end this nightmare once and for all."

"And then you can finally come home," Sakura said, smiling weakly at Sasuke.

"Yeah, I guess I can," Sasuke said.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Natsu enjoyed the feel of solid ground beneath his feet. That wasn't to say he didn't enjoy the feel of Lucy's firm breasts pressed against his back on Sai's ink bird, but the thrill was ruined by the nausea of his overwhelming motion-sickness.

They were met by the Tsuchikage herself, several of her loyalist warriors, as well as Gray and Erza. The two Fairy Tail mages flanked her, having obviously earned her trust.

"What happened?" Erza demanded, her scarlet hair whipped behind her in the breeze.

"Enemy forces are amassed in great numbers and heading this way," Naruto explained, his eyes trained on the Tsuchikage. "They are approaching from the sky."

"I grow weary of this. I want my country to be united," Kurotsuchi declared. "We will face them now and end this accursed war."

A bulky man stood protectively behind her, guarding with his proximity. He loomed over her with his superior height, had dark hair, and a bulbous nose. "Are you sure, Tsuchikage?" he asked.

"Yes, Akatsuchi. This has gone on long enough," Kurotsuchi said. She nodded her head towards the Fairy Tail mages and the Konoha shinobi. "We'll never have another opportunity such as this. We have strong allies that have come to our aid in our time of need. Now is when we end this ridiculous civil war."

"And stop that warmonger Arashi and his traitorous band," Akatsuchi vowed.

Natsu stared back at the approaching army in the sky. He ground his knuckles against his palm and grinned.

"Why are you smiling?" Gray asked. "Did you find Mikhail?"

"Not yet," Natsu answered. "I'm all fired up! Let's end this fight!"

Lucy took a deep breath and pulled a key from her pouch. "Star Dress Leo Form!"

Natsu looked over at her in surprise as she was transformed into wearing an elegant black gown with a slit up the skirt practically to her waist, and generous cleavage. Loke was at her side in his black suit and sunglasses grinning arrogantly. Natsu grit his teeth as a jealous rage began to burn inside his core. Loke was Lucy's celestial spirit, but seeing the two of them looking so couple-like in their matching dress clothes made him feel possessive, wanting to claim Lucy for his own. Lucy was his partner, not Loke's!

Gray wolf-whistled. "Looking good, Lucy! I'll ask later when you managed to master this particular technique. You and Loke are going to help take out the enemy or just stand in style, eh?"

Lucy looked over towards Gray and grinned. "Oh, don't you worry, Gray. Leo and I are going to work some magic on these dark forces and while we're at it, we'll find Mikhail and return him safely to his uncle."

"Nice Equip," Erza complimented with a nod of approval. "You'll have to show me the rest of your wardrobe after this is all over."

"Give her a few more months and she'll have a Star Dress for each of her Zodiacs," Loke promised.

"How about we focus on the approaching army?" Kurotsuchi asked. "Naruto, can you sense how far out they are?"

"Twenty minutes at the most," Naruto said. "The amount of chakra is enormous. It's greater than Kaguya." He exchanged worried looks with Sai.

"Can you quantify it?" Sai asked.

"It feels like three Kaguyas," Naruto explained, his tone flat.

"Let's hope Sakura returns with reinforcements then," Sai said.

"Who is Kaguya?" Erza asked.

"She is the goddess turned demon, that was responsible for endowing all shinobi with chakra, which fuels our high-powered attacks," Naruto said. "Whatever is working behind the scenes, instigating this civil war, doesn't care about who the leader is of Iwagakure."

"What do you think it cares about then?" Kurotsuchi asked quietly.

"Death," Natsu answered, his instincts warning him that this battle might even be more difficult than the one with Mard Geer and his Tartaros guild. He could only hope these new allies would prove at least half as helpful as his Fairy Tail guild mates.

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	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Seventeen: **

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Itachi returned to the Spirit World, only to find himself struggling with a mermaid in the middle of a lagoon. Her arms were banded tightly around him, holding him underwater.

He knocked her in the chest with a solid elbow and her grip loosened. He took the opportunity to use some of the talents from his human life. As a shinobi, water had been one of the elements he could manipulate. As a Celestial Spirit, he still contained that power.

The water around them swirled away and formed a giant bubble around them. A creature of the open sea would grow nervous trapped within such small confines. The pressure of claustrophobia would substantially lessen the amount of time he needed to attain answers. It was a classic interrogation technique he learned when he was a child and first joined Anbu.

In shock, the mermaid abruptly released him. He turned to face her and wasn't surprised that she was quite beautiful. Most of the deadliest entities out there were beautiful — it was how they lured people in. The mermaid had long blue hair, a bikini top that barely covered her well endowed bosom, golden bands around her biceps and wrists, and a solidly muscled blue scaled tail. From the scowl on her face, she was unused to being bested in strength. He could sense enormous spiritual energy from her.

"What purpose do you have in trying to drown Death?" Itachi asked.

She cocked her head to the side and chuckled a deep, throated sound of amusement. "No harm. I merely have a request." She laid her palm over her chest. "I am from the Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius. You must return to earth and find my new key. Enough time has passed. My key has been remade," Aquarius explained. "Give it to Lucy Heartfilia.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. What was with everyone's obsession about Lucy? Clearly, this creature misjudged him if she thought he went about fulfilling requests. How had her broken key affected her? He wouldn't do something as base as ask her, but he would find out. "Why should I do that?"

"She needs me. I have been watching her progress and I cannot stay here idly while she faces such a great evil." Aquarius's aqua eyes flickered anxiously around at the bubble incarcerating them. "Release this watery prison and I will show you.

Itachi allowed the water to scatter, depositing them both back into the lagoon with a splash. He began to tread water easily, as did the mermaid. She gestured to the water between them and an image appeared. Like with his crows, this mermaid spirit was able to watch the human world. "I am able to see from the point of view of the droplets of water within the clouds." She showed a great mass of deadly force on the horizon, rapidly closing the distance towards the loyalists.

Itachi looked away from the image, anxious to return and fight against the savage forces of The Morrigan and her allies. But he knew it would take some time before he could leave the Spirit World. His energy reserves had yet to recover.

"Why do you think you'll be able to help?" He studied the mermaid's face, noting the sincere worry marking her features. "Not much water in that area."

Aquarius smiled. "I want to be there for this epic battle. Surely, you recognize who Lucy is."

"Other than our brief meeting, we've never met."

"She was you in another life."

Itachi swam to shore and stepped out of the water. He folded his arms over his chest and looked down upon the mermaid with an imperious glare. "That is not true."

"Don't be a fool," Aquarius hissed. She glided through the water with powerful strokes of her tail until she reached the lagoon's shore. "She was not who you were as a human, but as you are now. Ten Thousand years ago, her previous incarnation was the Reaper."

Itachi's arms fell from his side. The Spirit King said there was no going back from being a Celestial Spirit. What Aquarius said was impossible.

As if reading his thoughts, Aquarius stared at him strangely. "Surely, you've met the Angel of Death. The first Reaper sacrificed her very essence to stop this evil, but it wasn't enough to destroy it. She merely weakened it so that it has taken this long to rise to power."

"And how do you know this?"

"I am an ancient spirit, Reaper. I was there, unlike the other Zodiacs. They are all so young. The original battle was fought on an emerald island with frigid waters surrounding it." Aquarius smiled, it was a frightening smile. "Some of my scariest foes lived in those waters, but none so scary as me!"

Itachi didn't care about the mermaid's past glories. "So you're saying to defeat this ancient foe, I'll have to sacrifice myself." He added 'again' silently.

Aquarius shook her head. "No, because that was only a temporary solution. You must do something else. Something more permanent, something that will require all the Zodiacs at Lucy's disposal. And that is why you will bring my key to Lucy. You will need all the help you can get and I will not allow my Lucy to be a casualty in this war."

"I don't have time for a treasure hunt."

"I know exactly where it is," Aquarius said. She waved her hand over the surface of the lagoon and the water revealed a location back on the human world.

Itachi recognized the location. It was within the Hidden Village of Mist inside Water Country. It was at Kisami's favorite training ground. "That's very far from where the battle is taking place."

"It's a good thing that distance means nothing to Spirits such as us," Aquarius retorted. "However, there is something more."

Itachi arched his eyebrow incredulous. She had to be kidding him. What else? He waited silently.

"Your timeline was altered," Aquarius said. "I do not know the particulars. I am merely passing on a message from Horologium. He has access to information forbidden to the rest of us. He will show you how things should have been."

"And where am I to find him?"

Aquarius smiled. "Behind you."

A large grandfather clock stood behind Itachi. He beckoned the Reaper come near. Itachi peered at the glass front panel and as his consciousness was sucked within, the clock spoke. "Madara should never have survived his battle with Hashirama. Your timeline was altered by another goddess, by the name of Kaguya. The massacre of your clan never should have happened. And as a result, you never met the one that should have been your wife."

It felt as if Itachi was being drawn into a maelstrom and then suddenly he was in Konoha. He saw things from his own eyes, yet things were different. Itachi wore the uniform of the Uchiha Police Force. He was eighteen and his younger brother was in his final year at the academy.

He had come home to his parents' residence to snag dinner. He lived in an apartment on the other side of the village, but no one cooked like his mother. Mikoto was in the kitchen preparing her famous dumplings.

"So glad you're here, dear!" Mikoto leaned over and planted a chaste kiss to Itachi's cheek. "Your father won't be here in time for dinner. He had a meeting with the Hyugas." She dropped her voice to a lower level. "Personally, I think he's trying to avoid dinner since he knew Sasuke's friends would be joining us."

Sasuke and two of his schoolmates were at the kitchen table with a pile of books spread out between them. Itachi recognized the blond - the Hokage's trouble-making son. He wasn't familiar with the pink-haired girl. But by the way she was telling Sasuke what to do, he suspected she might be Sakura - the only girl in Sasuke's class that wasn't impressed by his flirting.

Itachi had heard from Minato that he wanted to place Sasuke on Team Seven, led by the infamous Kakashi Hatake. He also admitted that he wanted his son on the team, but between Naruto and Sasuke, he needed a third member that could help reign the two trouble-makers in. He was leaning towards the girl with the top marks academically in their class.

"Oh! You're home!" Sasuke cried out with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. "I was hoping I could show you a trick I worked out with the Fireball jutsu."

"Sure," Itachi agreed. He sat at the table and enjoyed the way the bright blue and pale jade eyes of Sasuke's friends measured him. "Are you working on a project?"

"It's the final project before our graduation. We can't decide on a topic," Sasuke informed him. "Naruto wants to try and improve on his dad's teleportation. Sakura wants to do a study about chakra manipulation and its applications to medicine."

"And what's your idea?" Itachi pressed. Both of the aforementioned ideas were decent.

"He's too busy flirting to come up with any decent ideas," Sakura said with a scowl. She poked Sasuke in the shoulder. "Genjutsus to alter your appearance to appeal to someone's preference on a date is not appropriate for a school project."

"Actually, it would be appropriate for an infiltration mission," Itachi interrupted.

The girl shifted her gaze to him and deflated. "I didn't think about that."

"It's no big," Sasuke told her, slinging his arm around her shoulders casually. "I hadn't thought of it myself, but that means we have three viable topics."

Sakura twisted out of his arms. She turned back towards Itachi. "What do you think?"

Itachi leaned his elbows on the table, enjoying the way the three youth stared at him with rapt attention. "I think you should write about all three of those abilities. I think you should write about how a good shinobi team is a blend of various talents."

"That's a really good idea," Naruto mused. He grinned at Sakura and Sasuke. "And if we score well, I bet my dad will make sure we're on the same team!"

Years passed, and then Itachi was in the hospital. A crossbow bolt had pierced through his armor and struck into his shoulder. He had stopped the robbery, but when he saved the clerk, he'd taken the shot himself. His medic had a shock of pale pink hair and familiar jade eyes.

"Well, I didn't think I'd see you here Captain Uchiha," Sakura greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked, recognizing his brother's teammate.

"We have a few weeks off of missions, so I'm pulling some rounds at the hospital," Sakura answered. She laid her hand over his shoulder and with a firm yank pulled out the bolt, her hands glowed green with a healing technique, and he could feel his flesh knitting back together.

"When did you get the diamond?" Itachi asked. Last he'd seen her, she didn't have the purple Strength of a Hundred Seal.

"Three years of constantly controlling my chakra," Sakura answered. "It finally paid off about six months ago." She leaned over him with a frown. "There's something wrong with your lungs," she murmured. "Just how often do you perform the Fireball jutsu?"

"Occasionally," Itachi said. "Not too often. Why?"

"Refrain for a while." She moved to the sink and washed her hands. She then pulled her stethoscope from around her neck. "I'm going to have you take a few deep breaths for me, okay?"

Itachi nodded and followed her instructions.

"I'm going to keep you overnight and I'll run a few diagnostics." She smiled at him. "Don't worry, Captain Uchiha. I'll have you back on patrol solving crimes before you know it."

The final scene that he flashed to was with Sakura again. They were at the hospital and she was drenched with sweat in a pale green hospital gown. Itachi sat on the edge of her bed, breathing perfectly without any residual effects of his deadly lung disease. He had one arm wrapped firmly around his wife's waist holding her against him and his other arm secured around a small infant with inky black hair and eyes.

Suddenly, Itachi was back in the Spirit World. The grandfather clock had no more images on its glass cover. "That was your original timeline."

Rage rushed over Itachi. He had felt cheated in life, but now that he knew what was supposed to have been his life - how happy he'd been! He understood now why Sakura had been able to summon him before. It wasn't because she'd bled on his key. It was because she was supposed to have been his soul mate.

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* * *

**OoO**

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The tension outside the Earth loyalists' camp was palpable. When Natsu had suggested finding a job in the east, he had no idea it would lead to the front lines of a war. He thought it was a clever means to pay for their travel expenses, not that he'd be endangering Lucy. He'd been through a lot of tough battles with his teammates. He would die for them if that's what it took to keep them safe.

But the idea of losing any of them was an unacceptable risk.

If he could, Natsu would hide them all away — Lucy, Happy, Erza, even Gray. He would take on this great force of evil to save them. Unfortunately, he had his limits and even with his indomitable strength, he would need their help to win.

"You're awful quiet," Gray mused. He had an ice cannon balanced over his shoulder. The barrel was directed at the approaching army in the sky. As the Rebel army drew closer, their sheer numbers was so great that their density blotted out the sun creating an overcast sky. "I thought you'd be amped up and ready to fight spouting off some non-sense about being all fired up."

"I'm ready to have this fight over with," Natsu answered, his tone serious and lacking his usual enthusiasm. "We'll collect Mikhail and stop the senseless violence." He narrowed his eyes and began to see the approaching army more clearly. His dragon slayer's sensitive nose detected the foul stench of rotted flesh. Countless animated corpses rode on flying beasts with leathery wings. Only a small portion were flesh and blood, the rapid tattoo of their hearts nearly drowned out by the beating of the monsters' wings.

"We've faced challenging enemies before. We've got this," Gray said. He released a solid icy cannonball into the midst of the approaching army, knocking a pair of the beasts out of the sky.

Half of the Wild Hunt spilled from the sky and began to settle on the ground. Their mounts were spectral horses that stamped their fiery hooves upon the cracked earth impatiently and massive hellhounds displaying terrifying fangs. The ground force of the Wild Hunt was led by a particular sinister green hellhound twice as large as the others. It released a soul-piercing howl, its fangs peeled back in a terrifying grimace. The enemy force alongside it started to run towards the loyalists.

Dozens of Naruto's shadow clones rushed out to engage them in combat. The original Naruto stood next to Lucy. Natsu was about to rush to their side, not liking someone other than himself fighting alongside his partner.

He hesitated when a golden aura surrounded Lucy. Suddenly, her outfit had changed into a black evening gown with a slit up her thighs and generous cleavage. Loke stood next to her now in his matching black suit.

"She did it," Gray murmured. "It's the Star Dress."

Natsu smirked as he watched Lucy and Loke attack simultaneously with Regulus. They took out a score of troops. Unfortunately, those troops picked themselves up from the ground. Some were missing arms, or legs, or heads, but the animated minions of The Morrigan continued to crawl towards the loyalists.

Kurotsuchi, the true Tsuchikage, stood before her troops. Her gaze was leveled upon a certain dark haired man amongst the enemy riding a pitch-black spectral horse with smoke shooting out its nostrils and fire burning at its feet. "Arashi you traitor!" An immense swell in chakra surrounded her and using her Kekkei Genkai, she released lava towards the enemy causing them to stay at a distance. Then she and her bodyguard Akatsuchi worked together to create a great chasm in the ground to further separate the opposing forces.

"That would be more effective if half the enemy wasn't flying," Gray said with a scowl.

While Gray had a point, Natsu was grateful for the distance between his friends and the otherworldly snarling green canine. A flash of blue and gold caught Natsu's attention and he saw Mikhail. He was riding behind a viciously armed woman on a terrifying hellhound at least a head taller than the rest. The woman was coated in blue paint with long, flaxen hair.

"I'll take her," Natsu declared. As if sensing the challenge in his spirit, the blue-painted goddess turned towards him. Her face broke into a sinister grin with terrifying shark-like teeth and she twirled her flaming spears in anticipation. "Happy!" he called out, waving over his loyal Exceed.

Without hesitation, Happy began to fly over to Natsu's side.

"We'll take her," Gray said. He held up his right arm with its black swirling tattoos. "Don't forget, I'm a demon slayer."

Natsu nodded. "All right," he agreed. He waited for Happy to reach him. "I need you to fly me over the chasm. Bring me to the blue woman on the scary dog."

Happy swallowed visibly, his eyes darted nervously towards The Morrigan's army. "Okay."

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," Natsu promised.

Happy smiled bravely. "I believe in you!"

"Let's go slay us a demonic goddess," Gray said, allowing his ice cannon to disintegrate.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Sakura clung to Sasuke as they teleported in rapid succession, each leap bringing them closer to their goal. She hoped desperately that Itachi might be able to rejoin them. They would need supernatural intercession to defeat so many supremely powered foes and their massive army.

It was easy for The Morrigan to recruit into her army. Any that she defeated, she simply enslaved them to her purposes after death.

Sasuke settled them at the side of a mountain to watch as the Wild Hunt in the skies drew near the Loyalist camp. The mountain was so large that it connected to either side of the chasm. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief when Sasuke used one of his many Sharingan powers to mask their chakra completely from detection.

"I'll summon Aoba. Let him crush some of the enemy forces on the far side of the chasm," Sasuke suggested. "Then we can use the distraction to reach Naruto and the others."

"I'll call Katsuyu," Sakura said. "If I attach her to our forces, then The Morrigan won't be able to convert them to her army."

Sasuke opened his mouth and then firmly shut it. No doubt, he'd been about to berate her about wasting chakra, but he remembered she had plenty. He nodded.

"Remember when you and Naruto merged your Susanoo with Kurama?" Sakura asked.

"Not likely to forget," Sasuke scoffed. "That's what we'll need to do. Then Itachi can come and do his reaping thing."

Sakura reached for The Reaper's key and hoped she'd be able to summon him. She scanned the Loyalist army. "I wonder which one is Lucy," she murmured.

"Probably the blonde in the black evening gown that just released a giant surge of energy," Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes. He pointed towards a woman standing between Naruto and a red-head in a black suit. He crouched to the earth and using the tip of his sword pricked his thumb to summon his snake.

Sakura pulled a kunai from the sheath on her thigh and pricked her own thumb. She crouched alongside Sasuke and they performed their summonings. Their element of surprise was soon lost as a gigantic snake and slug materialized on the mountainside.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen:**

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It was the first time Itachi had ventured into Kiragakure, the Hidden Village of Mist, without the humidity suffocating him. He took a deep breath, not that he actually needed to breathe now. A deep pang of grief carved another hole into his heart at the remembered loss of his old partner in Akatsuki. Kisame grew up in the murderous Mist islands. His shark-like partner would have enjoyed a treasure hunt for a golden Zodiac key.

Itachi's familiars were split between the location of Sakura, his key, and his current location. The myriad of conflicting images started to give him a migraine, but with practice surely he'd master the skill of interpreting multiple environments simultaneously. Sasuke and Sakura had just summoned a giant snake and slug while the entirety of The Morrigan's army sought to annihilate any living creature in their path.

He didn't have time to dawdle, but it wasn't like Kiragakure was a small patch of land. Hundreds of Island comprised the Water Country. At least with the assistance of his familiars, Itachi had narrowed the key's location to one particular island and aside from him, there were only two living souls there.

"You know, I can sense you," a white-haired man said, swinging his legs in a tree far above Itachi's head. "Maybe I can't see you, but that doesn't mean I can't find you."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. That man had Aquarius' key. He felt the displacement of air on his seven o'clock, and Itachi shifted space, vanishing before the would-be attacker on the ground could hit him. Itachi reappeared to settle next to the white-haired swordsman on the overhead tree branch. The swordsman's dark purple eyes widened in shock. Itachi recognized this man as one of Orochimaru's lab rats that had joined forces with Sasuke.

Kisame never could stand the white-haired shinobi. "Hozuki, Suigetsu," Itachi acknowledged. "Your brother Mangetsu was an excellent fighter."

"You think you know me, demon?" Suigetsu scoffed, hiding his fear behind annoyance.

"I need that key," Itachi said. He leaned forward, his face hidden by the shadows of his cloak. Another of his talents was manipulating darkness, he could be completely obscured by it. His mind was flooded with observations from his familiar crows in Earth Country. Sakura now stood next to Lucy and was showing his key. His time was growing short.

Suigetsu dangled the golden key of Aquarius lazily between his pointer finger and thumb. "Why should I give it to you? It's got the symbol of water on it." He shrugged. "It seems appropriately mine, given all the trouble I've had to go through. Besides, I'm the one that found it."

"Who are you talking to?" Jugo called up from below the tree. His orange hair was in a wild disarray.

"He speaks to Reaper," Itachi declared. "I must have that key or else all the world will be swallowed by death in a battle to the far west. Your old comrade, Sasuke Uchiha, is working to stop this evil. Will you help him?"

"Sasuke needs our help?" Jugo asked in a bright, hopeful tone. He sounded like an eager child granted a chance to meet his hero.

"If you give me the key, I will take you both to him," Itachi wagered. Even with bitterness and hatred clouding Sasuke's heart, he still collected loyal friends. Itachi's ire flared at the reminder of just what was taken from him — his family, and countless others — at the manipulation of some bitch goddess to the timeline. "There is no time to banter."

"What will you do if I refuse?" Suigetsu began to dissolve into water and vanished before Itachi's eyes.

"I will use force if I must." Itachi pulled out his scythe and allowed himself to vanish into the spectral field. As shinobi with unnaturally keen senses, they might be able to sense him, but any attack they might unleash would pass through him harmlessly.

Jugo leapt through Itachi's incorporeal body and crashed into the tree's trunk. Jugo shook his head, a dazed look to his eyes. "It's pointless Suigetsu. If he can take us to Sasuke, we should go."

"Maybe I'm tired of being the Uchiha Avenger's lapdog," Suigetsu's voice echoed in the air, seeming to come from a multitude of directions.

"Karin Uzumaki is also there," Itachi added. He allowed himself to be visible and pushed back his hood. It was a gamble, but time was of the essence. He didn't have time to toy with these two and his face was infamous amongst shinobi in all the major villages.

Suigetsu solidified in front of him. He stared dumbfounded at Itachi. "You're-."

"Reaper," Itachi interrupted him. "The key." Itachi held out his hand, his flesh an unnatural dark gray.

Suigetsu dropped the zodiac key into Itachi's hand.

Itachi tucked the key into the inner pocket of his cloak and let his aura surround the two. He grabbed hold onto both Suigetsu and Jugo's arms bruisingly. And then he followed the summoning of his key to rejoin the battle.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Lucy leaned against Loke's strong back, drawing power from the Leo Star Dress form. She didn't want to admit that her knees were shaking at seeing the horrific nightmare of an army approaching. She was doing pretty well fighting alongside Naruto. At least until she saw Natsu and Happy fly over the chasm with Gray following on a mobile ice-slide to face the enemy ground troops.

Not too far behind, she saw the bulk of the Loyalist army gathered behind Erza and the Tsuchikage. They waited patiently as the enemy closed the distance in the sky. The chasm worked well enough to postpone the confrontation with the land troops. Thirty of Naruto's clones bordered their side of the chasm serving as a buffer and attacking with the elements of water and wind to keep the enemy foot-soldiers on the other side.

"What is that?" Loke asked. He shot off a Regulus attack from his open palm towards a flying beast, as it plummeted towards the chasm, he gestured towards the mountain.

Two giant creatures manifested — one a huge snake poised, ready to strike and the other a slug both nearly as tall as the guild hall. The slug crumbled into thousands of miniature slugs that rushed towards their side of the fight like an endless wave of white crabs surging out of the ocean. Meanwhile, the Leviathan, slithered into The Morrigan's ground troops. Terrified screams rose amongst the ranks as its bulk crushed the troops in its path, obliterating any feeble resistance they might make.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted out over the noise of battle. He inhaled sharply. "Sasuke too," he whispered. He waved frantically towards the mountain where the snake and slug originated. "Sai! Bring them here!"

Coming in hard from their left, Sai rode a large ink lion-beast in a circle around their small group. It's fanged mouth was smeared in fresh blood and gore. "On it!" He started for the mountain, defying gravity as his lion-beast's mass didn't leave a single indention on the dusty ground.

"She's got the Reaper's key," Loke confirmed, his brow creased in concentration. "I can sense it."

"Great! So we'll summon him so we can defeat this Morrigan once and for all and end this senseless slaughter," Lucy said. She shot off a blast of Regulus energy towards a gruesome skeletal pegasus and its rider just as it had crossed the chasm. The bones shattered and the debris fell to the ground only a couple of meters from where they stood. The fragments began to collect into a pile and it began to slowly reform it's original shape. Her attack was only a temporary inconvenience for the enemy. "Soon would be better."

More enemies crossed the chasm aerially and were reaching for the Loyalist army with cruelly sharp talons, fiery hooves, and barbed tails. Naruto released a huge surge of wind and knocked them back, inadvertently scattering the remains of the one Lucy had just downed.

"Gross! What are these things!" Lucy stepped away from Loke frantically trying to avoid the numerous slugs slithering past her.

"Sakura's healing slugs," Naruto said. He picked a couple up, set one on his shoulder, and offered the other one to Lucy. "It offers instant healing. Only two people in the entire world have this ability."

"It's kind of cute," Loke said, studying the creature and taking it from Naruto.

"Fine," Lucy agreed. She cringed slightly as Loke settled the slimy creature on her shoulder.

Sai returned shortly with a pink-haired woman with excessive purple markings over her face and a somber dark-haired man with mismatched crimson and lavender-eyes.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto hugged the pink-haired woman against him fiercely. "I was worried!" He glared over her shoulder. "You made it, bastard!"

"We'll chat later, Naruto," Sakura said, shrugging out of his embrace. "You and Sasuke need to combine the Susanoo and tailed beast." She looked towards Lucy and Loke. "I take it you're the Spirit Mage? I'm going to need some help calling forth Reaper."

"Let's go, idiot," Sasuke said with a pointed jerk of his chin at Naruto. "Reunion after we save the world from eradication."

Naruto and Sasuke ran a short distance away and within seconds had summoned entities beyond anything in Lucy's imagination. The sheer power of the orange fox beast in purple samurai armor was on par with the Spirit King! A bow and a quiver of arrows materialized and the beast shot a deadly arrow into the midst of the flying the army, wreaking havoc.

Lucy watched Sakura with open curiosity. Aside from the pink hair, the take-charge young woman seemed to have little in common with Natsu. Sakura's jade eyes swept scrutinizingly across the battlefield, lingering on Natsu and Gray. Lucy followed her gaze towards her Fairy Tail teammates within the midst of the enemy foot-soldiers.

Natsu's flaming attacks enveloped a monstrous woman with long blonde hair. As the haze from Natsu's fiery attacks cleared away with the wind, blue paint dripped away from her, exposing red, raw flesh. The gruesome figure threw back her head with a sickening laugh, her vocal chords partially melted.

Lucy's stomach churned as she witnessed the blue-painted woman's flesh knit back together. Even the blue paint bloomed fresh across the creature's face and neck.

Finally, Sakura's attention settled on Lucy. The Celestial Spirit Mage shivered despite herself under the intensity of the kunoichi's eyes. This woman was definitely related to Natsu after all with the same fiery determination.

Sakura reached into a hidden pocket near her waist to reveal the unique onyx key for Reaper.

"You hold it," Lucy said. "He formed some kind of contract with you." She reached out and wrapped her hand around Sakura's. "Picture him in your mind and then very clearly say that you summon him and use his gate and his name." Her gaze flickered towards the battlefront in time to see several of Naruto's clones dissolve.

"I don't know his gate." Sakura swallowed thickly. "Last time I just bled on his key and that worked."

"Gate of the Crow," Loke supplied.

"Okay." Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Open Gate of the Crow — Reaper!"

Within seconds, a dark shrouded figure showed up with two other human males. The white and orange haired men fell to their knees gasping.

Loke frowned. "It's not healthy for humans to be transported like that, Reaper."

"It was necessary," Reaper answered blandly. He turned towards Lucy and held out a golden key. "Aquarius sends her regards and suggests you summon every Zodiac you have for this battle."

Lucy stared dumbfounded at the familiar key with the white jewel and blue waves that zig-zagged it. With a trembling hand she accepted Aquarius' unbroken key. She started to thank Reaper, but he'd already turned away from her, pointing out Sasuke and Naruto's location. Then the cool, calm grim Reaper pulled Sakura against him in a fierce hug.

"Guess he does have feelings after all," Loke murmured. He shook his head and gestured towards the keys at Lucy's side. Normally, her leather pouch was threaded through her belt, but with her black gown Leo Star Dress, a golden sash held the keys. "Go ahead and summon the others."

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* * *

**OoO**

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A wall of fire surrounded the blue-painted battle goddess. She started to laugh. "You think to entertain me, Macha, with fire?"

"And ice!" Gray shouted. "Ice-Make Prison!" He used his magic to imprison her from the neck down in a solid prison of ice.

She continued to laugh. The boy at her side, who Natsu suspected was Mikhail, shook his head as if out of a daze. A huge snake with countless spears, swords, and assorted long-bones sticking within its scales crushed her nearby reinforcements, cutting her off from aid.

"Gray, you get the kid and I'll finish her off," Natsu said. "Stay clear, Happy," he said gesturing towards his flying friend.

"Oh, that's no fun!" Macha opened her mouth impossibly wide. She began to vomit spears covered in blood, spewing them at a rapid fire rate, and sent them soaring towards Happy. The Exceed struggled, flapping his wings desperately to avoid the deadly barrage.

"No one hurts my friends," Natsu declared. While Gray managed to whisk away Mikhail, Natsu summoned the deepest, hottest, fire within him and opened his mouth much as Macha had. "Fire Dragon Roar!" A scorching white-hot flame burst forth and incinerated the goddess, melting the icy prison into steam.

Happy hovered near Natsu's shoulder with nervous energy. "Is she really gone?"

Natsu inhaled deeply and detected no hint of her. "It seems that way." He looked over the battlefield. They might have defeated one of the villains, but there were plenty more. Erza led a group of Loyalists against a section of The Morrigan's ground force where a terrifying green hellhound maimed and ripped apart any who stood before it - friend or foe alike. Flanking Erza's troops, Sai had created a herd of ink lions and bears, carrying himself and several more of the Loyalists working together to clear the terrain of enemy forces.

"Happy, let's get back on our side of the chasm," Natsu suggested. Happy gripped Natsu's shoulders and then lifted him to cross the great divide. Gray had already taken Mikhail and retreated to the back of the Loyalist army to secure his safety.

A massive rumble shook the earth and Natsu grinned at the pink-haired woman standing alongside Lucy. She had just cracked the ground with her fist, sending the beasts crawling towards them falling back. Then Lucy's army of Celestial Spirits attacked the disoriented monsters. They made quite a team.

"Set me down next to Lucy," Natsu said, peering up at his loyal friend. Happy nodded eagerly and brought Natsu to his beautiful golden-haired partner. He landed in a crouch between Lucy and his cousin.

"Are you Natsu?" The pink-haired woman asked, her jade eyes flashed with the excitement of battle and purple markings covered her face.

Natsu nodded and stood to his full height before he pulled her against him in a fierce bear hug. "And you're Sakura!" She was at first stiff in his arms and then relaxed against him with a laugh, returning his hug with a strong squeeze that temporarily cut off his oxygen supply.

"We'll talk more after this," Sakura promised when he released her. She gestured towards the big commotion in the sky. A pair of nightmarish dragons, almost the size of Acnologia, were the center of Reaper and Naruto's battle.

Natsu itched to join in. He was a dragon slayer, so if anyone could take down a dragon - it was him! However, it soon became apparent that the dragons were nothing more than transportation for the powerful beings riding them.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Using his innate abilities, Itachi teleported from the ground under the twin dragons transporting Badb and Dagna. Naruto and Sasuke's arrow from the Susanoo-armored tailed beast knocked Badb's dragon from the sky. A blur of orange and purple rushed towards her to keep her down.

"Are you in there somewhere, Shisui?" Itachi asked, landing on the balls of his feet on the remaining airborne dragon's back. He rotated his scythe to block a downward attack by Dagna's gigantic battle-ax.

"Your little friend is nothing more than a conduit," Dagna roared. He extended his hands palms outward and brought forth an explosion of hail the size of a closed fist.

Itachi was hard pressed to avoid the ice-stones as they plummeted from the sky, the earth, the dragon's scales, and from Dagna's general direction. In spite of his agility, he was still knocked a few times in the shoulder and spine.

A blast of bright yellow power hit Dagna, sending him staggering backwards on the dragon. Itachi glanced over his shoulder to see that Leo and Lucy had combined a Regulus attack to help him. The momentary distraction was a foolish action on his part because Dagna vanished, then reappeared right in front of Itachi, Shisui's Sharingan eyes swirled, trapping Itachi in a battle of will. Shisui's ocular powers were the strongest of their generation.

Itachi's mind was trapped inside a Tsukiyomi where he had a small, dark haired child riding his shoulders. His pink-haired wife was heavily pregnant and walking alongside him as they drew near a park in the village. Their son slid off Itachi's shoulders and rushed towards the swing set with an eager smile. With a chuckle, Itachi moved behind his son to push the swing while Sakura sat on a nearby bench with a paperback novel.

A hard body slammed against Itachi, disrupting the genjutsu. Sasuke stood over him straining with Dagna's axe dug deep into his prosthetic arm. "Now would be a good time to hit him," Sasuke grunted.

Itachi stood beside his younger brother and sliced his scythe through Dagna, separating the ancient god from his cousin's body. The dark green wraith slithered away from Shisui and vanished into the army on the ground.

"Itachi?" Shisui asked, his eyes darted to and fro in confusion before staring down at the axe in his hands and his foreign clothing. His expression hardened. "Send me back."

"Back?" Sasuke demanded ripping the axe out of his arm. One of Sakura's slugs was on his shoulder and the flesh of the prosthetic began to mend.

Shisui reached for Itachi's robes and gripped them tight, his dark eyes pleaded desperately. "I was content. They were all there. Let me go back," he whispered brokenly.

Itachi clenched his teeth in pain, knowing that Shisui was enjoying a peaceful afterlife with their lost loved ones while Itachi was trapped in a cycle of duty. Silently, Itachi raised his scythe again and terminated the unnatural possession of Shisui's body. His cousin smiled peacefully before he vanished into nothing more than ashes. The dragon under their feet began to veer hard to the right, trying to dislodge the unwelcome riders.

Sasuke pulled out his sword and drove it between the dragon's neck and back, severing what would have been the spinal cord in a regular creature. He leapt off the falling dragon and landed on the ground next to Naruto where they faced off against the crone.

Itachi focused his senses on Dagna and found the god had possessed another body - a living one. A red-haired woman in metal battle armor alongside the Tsuchikage squared off against the dark haired man he possessed. Itachi teleported towards them before the dying dragon could crash.

"Arashi, you traitorous scum!" Kurotsuchi screamed shooting a volley of lava towards the Rebel army leader. The snarling green hellhound was at his feet, fangs dripped with blood. There were bloodstains on the Tsuchikage's clothing, yet her flesh was unharmed. Another of Sakura's slugs sat perched on her shoulder, healing the wounds inflicted by the canine.

A cruel smile stretched Arashi's lips. "I am not Arashi," he said quietly. "And I tire of your pointless resistance. Why don't you just die?" He unleashed a lightning bolt to strike the slug on Kurotsuchi's shoulder, disintegrating it. "No more delaying the inevitable." He posed to strike a second time, but the red-haired warrior released a volley of swords at him.

Nearly a score of swords pierced through Dagna and his newest body. The hellhound roared in rage and leapt towards the swordswoman.

"Erza!" Kurotsuchi cried out. She rushed to her ally's side, but Itachi beat her. He stuck the beast with his sword, pinning it in place, and then sliced it in half with his scythe. He could feel his celestial powers draining, but at least he managed to destroy the Grimm. He next turned towards Dagna and reaped the god's essence away from Arashi, returning it to the realm it belonged.

The Rebel leader crumpled to the ground, his life's blood flowed out from him in torrents.

Itachi felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing and peered behind him. The Angel of Death hovered over the battlefield, collecting the spirits of the dead from The Morrigan's army. Most of the Loyalists were clinging to life due to the healing properties of Katsuyu. The Angel gestured towards the far end of the fighting field and Itachi felt his non-existent heart stop in his chest.

Sasuke and Sakura were alone, the shattered remains of enemies surrounded them. The miniature Katsuyu slugs began to vanish as Sakura poured her life force into Sasuke's dying body.

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**OoO**

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She wasn't going to let him die. Sakura had seen the flawless teamwork of Naruto and Sasuke as they defeated the old crone. Once more, she was relegated to watching their backs while she used most of her chakra to keep the Loyalist army healthy and alive. If they weren't dead, then The Morrigan couldn't convert them to her undead army.

After her two old teammates defeated Badb, the goddess only lost her corporal body. Her essence sought a suitable host and then poured into Karin Uzumaki. That couldn't be allowed and Naruto's tailed beast recognized the Uzumaki blood within Karin. Together, Naruto and Karin managed to purge the foreign goddess with her chakra chains and his sage powers.

However, they didn't purge The Morrigan before she uttered a dying curse upon Sasuke with no cure. "I curse you with immediate death, Hawk! A finite life with no reincarnation!"

It all happened so fast! Naruto and Karin were some distance away and probably couldn't hear the curse the goddess released on the wind. Sasuke laid dying in Sakura's arms, but she did know one way to save him. She would use the forbidden technique that she learned on her first mission with Naruto after their training with the Sannin. She remembered well Granny Chiyo's technique. The curse was for a death, it didn't specify it was to be his death. It should work!

"What are you doing?" Sasuke whispered, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, his nostrils, bloody tears falling over his cheeks.

"This isn't your end, Sasuke-kun," Sakura vowed, adding the endearment.

He smiled faintly. "Now, I'm Sasuke-kun? You're annoying, you know that?"

Warm tears fell from Sakura's eyes, but she paid them no heed. All her energy was focused on saving Sasuke. She released her summons and felt a slight increase of chakra. "He needs you," Sakura said. "You have to fight by his side. He has Hinata to keep him healthy and whole, but he needs you to keep him alive from rampant goddesses. He's going to be the Hokage."

Sasuke frowned. The blood from his nostrils began to dry up, the bloody tears stop flowing. "What are you doing, Sakura?"

"I love you, Sasuke. You're my friend and I want you to have a chance at happiness." Sakura leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, silencing any further protest. It looked like he had plenty, but his eyes closed at the start of the kiss. She poured the last of her reserves, finding the curse within him. There was a way to defeat the curse, but it was only through substituting one death for another.

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	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen:**

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"Luuuuuuucy!" Taurus whined, his white cowhide dusted with ash from slaying undead skeletal troops. "There's no one left to hit!" He balanced his battle-axe precariously over his broad shoulder.

"That's a good thing, you idiot," Aquarius scoffed, in her endearingly callous manner.

"Play nice," Loke chided. He slung his arm casually over Lucy's shoulder. "It looks like we've saved the day."

Lucy smiled half-heartedly at Loke. She'd managed to summon all her Zodiac spirits as reinforcements for the Loyalist army. Casualties were practically non-existent due to Sakura's healing power and with the epic fighters — Natsu, Gray, Erza, Naruto, Sai, the Reaper, and the Tsuchikage decimating the big, bad, bloodthirsty gods. Of course, Lucy did her part. She and her Zodiacs had taken out a good portion of the Wild Hunt.

There was a great masculine cry of anguish. Lucy looked towards its original and gasped as Loke's arm fell away from her. In the distance, she saw Sasuke crushing Sakura's limp body against him, and she wasn't moving.

Reaper suddenly appeared at Sasuke's side, peering down silently at the two. Then within ten seconds, Naruto and Sai were there as well as a redhead woman and the two men Reaper brought when he'd been summoned.

Sasuke didn't seem to notice any of them, his world reduced to the unmoving woman in his arms. "It should have been me!" he howled in devastation. "Why her?"

Reaper crouched over Sasuke and Sakura, placed one hand over the center of her chest and placed the blade of his scythe flat against her upper back. Reaper tugged, his hands seeming to slip inside Sakura's flesh, and then he vanished along with a brilliantly white glowing light.

Natsu walked stiffly to Lucy's side, his arm brushed against hers, his spine rigid. His dark eyes flashed with anguish. Lucy slipped her hand into his and he squeezed her fingers tight. She might have been the only thing keeping him from rushing to his cousin's side and pushing aside her friends.

"She can't be dead," Natsu whispered in disbelief. "We were supposed to talk after the battle."

"Whatever that strange healing technique of hers, she prevented the deaths of countless others," Aquarius stated, moving behind Lucy. "You need to collect Reaper's key. It does the girl no good now."

Lucy squared her shoulders and turned to glare at Aquarius. "I won't pillage the corpse of a friend!" she hissed. Hot tears of grief began to gather in her eyes.

"You hardly knew her," Aquarius protested. She cocked her head to the side and stared at Lucy strangely, seeming baffled by the tears. She had always considered Lucy an overly emotional cry-baby. She sauntered away, moving to stand amongst the other Zodiacs between Aries and Scorpio. She hooked her arm through Scorpio's and laid her cheek affectionately on his muscular arm, and continued to watch Lucy calmly.

"Lucy, we need to return to the Spirit World," Loke said. He reached out to clasp Natsu's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Natsu." The Dragon Slayer patted Loke's hand absently.

Lucy watched detached as her Celestial Spirits vanished from Earthland. They were all solemn. What should have been cause for celebration now felt hollow.

Natsu tugged on Lucy's hand and turned his gaze forcefully away from his fallen cousin. "Gray has Mikhail," he rasped. "He and Erza can take him back to his uncle to complete the job. We'll stay with Naruto."

"Natsu," Lucy murmured, choked by grief.

Natsu yanked Lucy towards him, her body crashed against his. He fisted his right hand in the thick hair at her nape and his left pressed firmly against the small of her back. Lucy's tears began to soak his shirtfront, but he didn't seem to care.

"Let us go to them," Natsu suggested, his chapped lips brushed against her temple.

Hand in hand, they crossed the distance over ground saturated in blood and ashes to where the shinobi huddled. Happy hovered over Naruto's head and Sai kneeled next to Sasuke with his fingers pressed against Sakura's throat. "There is no pulse," Sai stated grimly.

"That's because she's gone!" Sasuke snapped at him impatiently. "Did anyone else hear the curse?"

The redhead woman shifted her feet.

"Karin?" Naruto asked. "You heard it? What did she say?"

"It was bad," Karin answered quietly. "Death and a curse to never be reincarnated."

"I can encase her in ice until we can ascertain if anything can be done," Gray suggested, from Lucy's right. She hadn't even noticed his approach. His shirt was abandoned on the ground, a sign of his discomfort. Happy swooped down and picked up the discarded shirt, holding it out for Gray. The Ice Mage took the shirt and then shrugged it on absently.

"Do it," Naruto said. "We'll take her to Granny Tsunade. If anything can be done, she can do it."

"Did you not listen to me? She took my curse!" Sasuke clutched Sakura's body closer, his pale cheeks were flushed with anger. "Not only did she lose her life, but she lost any chance of a future life!"

"You listen to me, Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto reached into Sakura's pocket for the onyx Reaper key. "You will keep this key safe and you will hand Sakura's body to me. She's gone. Reaper took her spirit — we all saw it. Maybe he can bring it back and maybe Granny Tsunade can revive her. So you're going to let Gray preserve her in ice."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You're not the Hokage yet."

"No, but of the two of us, I've been the one fighting alongside Sakura for years while you selfishly pursued your vengeance." Naruto's body glowed a bright reddish orange and the whisker marks upon his cheeks thickened.

Lucy started to walk away from them, feeling an undeniable pull.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked, his voice a harsh whisper.

"I just need a moment," Lucy said, with an apologetic smile. She turned her back on him and the others. She didn't want to watch Sakura's body being encased in ice, but that wasn't why she left. At the far end of the field, a shadowy figure with dark wings shifting behind it waited for her.

No one paid any attention to Lucy, as if her walk was enshrouded in a glamour to be ignored. Before long, she stood toe-to-toe with the Angel of Death.

"Well met, Lucy Heartfilia," Death greeted, his voice grated like splintering steel.

"Have you come to kill me?" Lucy asked in a whisper, afraid to speak louder lest she upset the angelic messenger. The close proximity to such a being of enormous power was enough to trigger a minor heart attack.

Death shook his hooded head. "It has been a long time since we worked together, Reaper."

Lucy scowled. Reaper? She wasn't the Reaper. "I don't understand. Why would you call me that?"

"She'll be back," Death answered, ignoring the question. "You must take the key. Your descendants must safe-guard it. A time will come when you must defeat her once again, otherwise the entire world will descend into madness."

"Who? The Morrigan?" Lucy asked.

"Live well," Death said, vanishing into a thick, gray mist. "We will meet again many years from now, Lucy Dragneel."

The air's temperature dropped, chilling Lucy to the bones. The Angel of Death was gone and only its cryptic message lingered. She wasn't sure what was more terrifying — meeting with Death or learning that one day her surname would become Dragneel?

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* * *

**OoO**

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There was no guidebook for Celestial Spirits. Itachi didn't have enough experience within the Spirit World to recognize what was the norm and what simply wasn't done. Frankly, he didn't care. Horologium showed Itachi what his life was supposed to have been like and regardless of the consequences, he couldn't lose Sakura now.

The Spirit King had found worth in Itachi. Perhaps he could be swayed to see it in Sakura too.

The Morrigan was defeated and Itachi had left the mortals behind to clean up the aftermath. He held Sakura's spirit close to his chest and returned to the Spirit World. Her sacrifice terminated her mortal life and exhausted her spirit. He wasn't about to risk losing her to the Angel of Death and whatever waited in the afterlife. He would have preferred asking Sasuke what had happened, but he didn't have enough power to remain in the human world. There was no time to think. Itachi simply reacted by taking Sakura's spirit with him.

Itachi didn't know all the protocols, but seeking an unsolicited audience with the Spirit King was certainly pushing his luck. Regardless, that was his first destination. A pair of imposing humanoid guards with fearsome broadswords stood on either side of the door to the Spirit King's audience chamber.

"I must speak with the Spirit King," Itachi demanded. He shifted Sakura's weight, freeing one hand for easy access to his sword. He would use force if necessary.

The two guards stared at him and the translucent spirit in his arms. "Have you been summoned?" The guard on the right, with ram horns protruding from the crown of his head, adjusted his blade to block the door.

"I am requesting an audience," Itachi said. "Tell him Reaper wishes to speak with him and give an update on The Morrigan."

The guards bent close to one another and held a quiet discussion. The guard on the left with a canine snout straightened first. "And who is she?"

"None of your concern," Itachi warned.

The doors to the king's audience chamber flew open by a strong gust of wind. The Spirit King stood in the doorway and glared down at them, his eyes a fiery blaze of anger. "Come, Reaper. Explain yourself."

Itachi followed the king inside the audience chamber and the doors slammed behind him with such force, he felt his bones tremble. "The Angel of Death wanted to take her to the Underworld, but I couldn't allow it."

The Spirit King settled his significant weight on his gilded throne. "Horologium showed you the original timeline, didn't he?"

Itachi clutched Sakura possessively against him. She should have been his and he wasn't about to give her up without a fight. His clan's massacre should never have been ordered. Shisui's plead to return to the After Life echoed through his thoughts. "I have seen what should have been and I have a request. I wish to join Sakura in the Underworld."

"You cannot," the Spirit King answered with a heavy sigh. "You cannot be unmade from what you are." He gestured towards Sakura's spirit. "Would you bind her to you? Has she had a choice in the matter?"

"She sacrificed her life to destroy The Morrigan," Itachi said. "She summoned me without a contract. Her blood on my key connected us. I believe the Red String of Fate still connected us from our vows and love in the true timeline."

"Fascinating. Though, I believe she sacrificed herself to save your brother. Both of you made that choice in _this _timeline. Your connection in this life was your mutual love for him." The Spirit King rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully, his eyes twinkled with the light of a thousand iridescent stars. He dropped his hand and then reached for Sakura. It took all of Itachi's willpower not to jerk Sakura away from the king and to allow him to lay his massive palm over Sakura's head.

The translucent quality of Sakura's spirit began to grow dense. Her eyes blinked open and she stared up at Itachi blearily, her brow creased in confusion.

"I will think about this," The Spirit King bellowed at Itachi. "I grant you until sunset with her in the Spirit World. Then her fate will be decided."

Before Itachi could respond, he and Sakura were magically relocated to the forest he'd spent so much time in during his previous visits to the Spirit World. The satyrs played sad, somber music on their flutes and the birds began to sing solemnly from the tops of the trees. A dozen crows sat perfectly still aligned on a single branch of a great, thick tree.

Itachi carried Sakura to that particular tree and sat with his legs outstretched and with her spirit in his lap. She was as solid and substantial as he was now. Her eyes darted in every direction, looking for a semblance of familiarity. Ultimately, her gaze settled on him. "Itachi, what did you do?"

"I brought you to the Spirit World," he answered gruffly "You sacrificed yourself so that Sasuke might live. Don't you think knowing that will kill him in the end? Or at least drive him insane with insatiable guilt?"

Sakura closed her eyes weakly and sagged against Itachi's arms. "I'm so tired."

Itachi shook her forcefully, jarring her into alertness. "I don't know how much time we have. You won't waste it sleeping."

Sakura shifted against him and Itachi released his hold. She settled beside him, and braced her back against the tree, her shoulder brushed against his. "I don't possess your key anymore, Reaper," she stated grimly. "You have no further obligation to me. The Morrigan was defeated."

"I didn't bring you here because of the damned key," Itachi argued irritably. His feelings for her were confusing. In another life, he'd loved her with complete devotion. In their recent life, his greater dealings with her were after his death. She couldn't possibly reciprocate!

"Since our time is limited, why don't you show me around?" Sakura stood, her balance off, and she came crashing down towards Itachi.

He moved swiftly to catch her and then supported her with a strong arm snug around her waist.

"Dying takes a lot out of you," Sakura murmured. Her eyes welled with sudden tears.

Itachi shifted so that he faced her, one hand still secure around her waist, but the other caressed her soft cheek. He brushed the pad of his thumb over her face to smooth away a tear. "This place is quite beautiful," he said. "I had lamented not having someone to share the wonders with. Walk with me, Sakura."

They spent the next couple of hours walking side by side through the beautiful wilderness. She'd laughed delightedly at the mermaid lagoon, played a game of tag with him in the clouds falling into the fluffy pillow-like cushions, and stared down a magnificent cliff of multilayered stone of various red, golds, and tans towards a brilliant aquamarine river.

No matter the beauty of the landscape, Itachi kept vigilant for any sign of Horologium. He wanted to show Sakura what he'd seen. He wanted her to believe him and to share in the strange, intense feelings he now possessed.

"You think too much," Sakura said.

Itachi snorted. "Not the first time I've been accused of that."

They stood in the middle of a field of wildflowers. Sakura spun around with her arms outspread, looking like a carefree woman — not a battle-hardened kunoichi. The flowers transformed into yellow, pink, purple, and orange butterflies and fluttered around them.

"Our timeline was altered," Itachi blurted out.

"What?" A soft smile danced upon Sakura's lips. "Our timeline?"

He nodded. "Madara wasn't supposed to survive. Things were drastically different in the original timeline."

Sakura ignored the butterflies swirling around her, jade eyes focused solely on Itachi. "How do you know this?"

"I saw it. There is a spirit here, an old grandfather clock, that contains the memories of the various timelines," he explained.

"What was it like? The original timeline?" Sakura began to walk closer, standing toe to toe with him, her head tilted back to stare up at him. "Why don't you show me?"

He would have preferred to find Horologium. If he used his Sharingan, she might not trust the images.

Sakura seemed to recognize his doubts. "I trust you, Itachi." She didn't blink and continued to look directly into his eyes.

Ocular to ocular contact wasn't necessary. Itachi's Sharingan would work with an opponent looking at any part of him. He brought Sakura into a Tsukiyomi to share the scenes Horologium revealed to him.

Except this time, it wasn't just the scenes he had seen, but more.

Itachi wore a police uniform and sat next to Sakura on the docks, feet dangling over the water. She had just finished a shift at the hospital and wore her simple pale green scrubs. The sun was setting and the temperature started to plummet. Itachi dropped his uniform jacket over Sakura's shoulders and she cuddled against him.

"I was thinking we could visit that seaside resort in Mist," Itachi said.

"Is that the one Kisame suggested?" Sakura asked.

Itachi nodded. He'd met Detective Kisame Hoshigaki on an international case the year before and they'd struck up an easy friendship. It made solving cases that involved both Leaf and Mist less troublesome. "He was hoping to introduce us to his wife and daughter. His father-in-law owns a bed and breakfast and he has offered the family discount for us." He lifted Sakura's left hand and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles, the gleam of her wedding ring sparkled in the sun's fading light.

The vision ended abruptly, Itachi was too shocked by what he'd seen to continue the Tsukiyomi. "I don't understand. That's not one of the memories I saw."

"No," Sakura said, peering at him strangely. "I think it was my memory."

"How is that possible?" Itachi's expertise included knowledge in physics, but time travel had never been a subject of any real contemplation. "Perhaps, your spirit knows what your body has forgotten?"

"I'm not sure I care how," Sakura said. She lifted her hands to caress either side of Itachi's face, her thumbs traced his strong cheekbones. "But I remember our life together. You were my husband. We made a vow to bind not only our lives, but our spirits to one another."

"When you summoned me…."

"Maybe it was because our spirits were already bound?" Sakura murmured, gently pulling his face down towards hers. She stared at him from behind heavy lidded eyes, their lips only a hair's breadth distance apart.

Itachi braced his hand firmly against her low back and slanted his mouth over Sakura's. A lifetime of sacrifice and grief warred with a lifetime of pleasant contentment and happiness. He bit down teasingly on Sakura's lower lip, eliciting a gasp. He took the opportunity and slipped his tongue into her mouth to explore, and her tongue danced with his in a familiar kiss. They'd never kissed before, and yet they'd kissed countless times as lovers.

He drew back, smug about the look of Sakura's kiss-swollen lips. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. His moment of bliss was fractured by the memory of Sakura dying on the battlefield. "Tell me about what happened with Sasuke. You were both fine and then moments later, you're separated from everyone else and dying."

"The final aspect of The Morrigan had been defeated. She tried to possess Karin, but Naruto stopped her. As a wraith, with the last ounce of her strength before he sealed her away, she cursed Sasuke," Sakura explained. She leaned her forehead against Itachi's chest and he hugged her close, resting his chin on top of the silky crown of her head. "Her words were, 'I curse you with immediate death, Hawk. A finite life with no reincarnation.'"

"Maybe there is a way," Itachi murmured. They'd made sacred vows and their spirits were connected. Maybe if he explained the situation to the Spirit King, he would show mercy. "Let's not think about it just yet. We have a little time left before we meet with the king."

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* * *

**OoO**

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Ten long days had passed since the battle with The Morrigan and her Wild Hunt. The civil war amongst Iwagakure had settled and Earth Country had begun the painful process of healing. Gray and Erza had taken Mikhail to his uncle's estate while Lucy, Natsu, and Happy journeyed with the Leaf ninja towards Konohagakure.

Throughout the long way, Sasuke spoke to no one and said not a single word. Every evening when they settled for camp, he would stare at the onyx key in his hand, only eating whatever food Naruto set near him.

On the tenth night, Natsu sat next to the despairing man. Sasuke had been close enough to his cousin that she'd been willing to sacrifice her life in exchange for his. What was Sasuke Uchiha to Sakura Haruno? Sasuke glanced over towards Natsu, then promptly ignored him, flipping the key through his dexterous fingers repeatedly.

"So, you're supposed to be Sakura's cousin," Sasuke said, his voice hoarse from disuse.

"It would seem my mother and her father were siblings," Natsu answered.

"The pink hair," Sasuke murmured.

"I had really hoped to get to know her," Natsu said. "Lucy and I traveled here so we could meet our distant relations from Konoha."

"Yeah, well, you should have come sooner," Sasuke grumbled. "I should never have left her," he said quietly, his voice barely audible. "There's nothing Tsunade can do for her. She's gone." He raised the key to his eye-level. "I want answers and Itachi has them." His gaze flickered over Natsu's shoulder. "Would your blonde be able to summon him?"

"She doesn't have a contract with him," Natsu answered. "She could try though."

Sasuke shook his head. He stared at the key again and narrowed his eyes.

Natsu followed his gaze and saw the change in the solid onyx key. The crow on the bow now had jade eyes.

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* * *

**OoO**

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Memories of two lives spun around inside of Sakura's mind. She had wondered why things between her and Sasuke never worked out. It made sense now. Her strong connection to Sasuke wasn't because they were meant to be together, but because Itachi was her true love.

It didn't make her care for Sasuke any less, but her love for Itachi was stronger. The Morrigan's curse would make it impossible to reconnect with Itachi in a future life. Was Itachi even capable of reincarnation? His essential self was changed into a Celestial Spirit.

The Spirit King had summoned Sakura. Itachi waited outside the doors with the guards and she stood alone before the terrifying man.

"Sakura Haruno," the Spirit King's voice boomed. "You have been brought to my realm without leave."

"My apologies," Sakura said quickly, bowing at the waist respectfully.

"The Morrigan can never completely be destroyed. One day, maybe a thousand years from now, maybe only a few decades, she will turn. Only the Reaper is capable of stopping her," the Spirit King explained. "However, in this battle, a healing spirit weakened her and kept the casualties to a minimum. The previous battle had a much greater death toll."

Sakura straightened and listened intently to the king. "I have been made aware of my original timeline. Another goddess had interfered."

The king nodded. "Reaper cannot join you in the After Life. And it seems that you have been cursed against reincarnation." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I will make the same offer to you, that I made to him. This is a choice that you must make for yourself. I will approve your appointment to become the Celestial Spirit of Healing. Your powers would compliment Reaper's powers."

Itachi was mostly himself as Reaper. He'd been given a chance to interact with people from his former life. Her alternative was to be forever separated from her beloved with no chance of a reunion.

"I would be honored," Sakura agreed.

The door to the audience hall flew open. "Reaper, you may enter!" The Spirit King's voice boomed, rattling the walls.

Itachi strode past the guards with the length of his cloak fluttering behind him. He stopped at Sakura's side and offered a stiff bow towards the king.

"I cannot ignore the ties linking your two spirits," the Spirit King explained. "You are the Crow's Reaper," he said nodding towards Itachi. "And you are the Dove," he directed towards Sakura. "Together you will either reap spirits or heal bodies."

A black and crimson aura formed around Itachi and a purple and jade one surrounded Sakura. The auras began to merge, until all that remained was black and jade swirled together. The light began to fade until they appeared normal — though Itachi's skin had a gray cast and Sakura's skin had a pale jade sheen.

"Great and Merciful Spirit King," Itachi said. "I would ask one more favor of you."

Sakura touched Itachi's hand nervously. She didn't want to upset the Spirit King after he'd been so generous.

"You are welcome to ask, Reaper. Just as I am welcome to reject," the Spirit King stated amiably.

Itachi raised his hands to his neck and unclasped his necklace with the three steel rings on black leather. "I would have the memories of the original timeline infused within this necklace. I would like to gift this to Sasuke Uchiha so that he might have the peace and happy spirit he that should have been his in the original timeline."

The Spirit King snapped his fingers and Horologium materialized next to him. "Place the necklace within Horologium and I will allow this final wish of yours to be granted. Though, do not test your luck further, Reaper. My patience has limits and you have breached them."

"Thank you," Itachi said, dropping to his knees, lying prostrate with his forehead against the ground.

The king nodded at Sakura and then vanished from his audience hall. Horologium vanished a moment later, the necklace fell towards the ground, and Sakura reached out to catch it.

She kneeled in front of Itachi on the ground and gently traced her fingertip along his jaw, forcing him to look up at her. His dark eyes shimmered with emotion. "It worked out," Sakura whispered.

Itachi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He sat up straight and then reached for Sakura, drawing her against him in a fierce hug.

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	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty:**

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Natsu shifted awkwardly at the Haruno family dining table. Sakura's parents sat at the head of the table, holding hands, listening as Naruto explained what had happened. Sasuke sat silent and unmoving, the key in front of him on the table.

Lucy grabbed Natsu's hand under the table and squeezed it.

"My sister's son," Kizashi said, tears shining in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry I cannot welcome you as you deserve." He gestured absently. "Sakura—," his voice choked.

"Tsunade cannot revive her," Naruto said. "Kakashi wants full military honors at her funeral."

Mebuki nodded and then buried her face in her hands while great sobs wracked her small frame.

Kizashi nodded his head towards Sasuke. "At least you've returned to the village, Sasuke," he said. "Sakura loved you very much. I know her spirit is happy that you're here."

Sasuke looked up, his dark eyes blazed with an unquenchable anger. "I'd have preferred that she returned home, same as you, Haruno-san." He pushed away from the table, his food left uneaten. He bowed stiffly. "Thank you for inviting me. I must excuse myself." He hurried out of the house.

Naruto started to stand and go after Sasuke.

"Let me," Lucy said.

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* * *

**OoO**

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"What do you want?" Sasuke snarled. He glanced over his shoulder at Lucy as she stalked his trail.

"I understand that you're upset, Sasuke," Lucy said, slightly out of breath, her high heeled boots snapped loudly on the pavement.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He stopped and waited for her to catch up. "You understand what it's like to be the sole survivor of a massacred clan? You understand how it feels to know that my brother was sacrificed for the greater good of the village? You understand what it's like to be the peon of a goddess of battle and death? You understand what its like for me to find the woman I love, in the company of my long, lost brother, and then to lose her? She dies so that I can live? My brother snatched away her very spirit."

"Okay, so I don't understand what it feels like exactly," Lucy agreed. "That doesn't mean that you're the only person who has suffered. It doesn't mean that I don't sympathize with you."

"They aren't gone," Sasuke interrupted. He held up the key. "This is what you really want. Don't think I'll just give it to you. I can feel they are both within this key. Sakura is with Itachi. I witnessed the key change."

Lucy held up her hands peacefully. "I won't take the key from you—."

"As if you could," Sasuke interrupted her.

"I would like to examine it. I might be able to summon Reaper and find out what happened," Lucy continued. "After the battle, I was visited by the Angel of Death. That key will be important to defeating The Morrigan in the future. I was tasked to have my descendants safeguard it, but I won't take it from you."

Sasuke's hands curled possessively around the key. "You can summon them?"

Lucy nodded. She held out her hand. "It's not like you can't take it back from me."

Reluctantly, Sasuke dropped the key into her hand.

"I will open my mind to the personality of the key," Lucy explained. She closed her eyes, brow furrowed in concentration. "It is no longer just Reaper," she murmured. "Come forth, Reaper and Rebirth!"

In a blaze of brilliant green light, two figures materialized. The Reaper stood tall in his dark cloak with a shroud of shadows surrounding him. At Reaper's left hand side a mysterious, petite female in a bright, white cloak appeared. They were polar opposites, but having used the power of Yin and Yang himself, Sasuke knew that they were more powerful together than apart.

Sasuke stared at the celestial spirit duo, his hands clenched at his sides as his brother and Sakura were summoned by the spirit mage.

Itachi pushed back the hood of his cloak, revealing his ash gray skin. He stepped towards Sasuke, his old necklace was in his hand, and he offered it to him.

"What is this?" Sasuke demanded. He held out his hand, letting Itachi drop the necklace into his open palm.

"It is a gift," Sakura's voice whispered in his mind. The white cloaked spirit stood next to Sasuke. She kept her face hidden, but he recognized the grace in her movements. She took the necklace from Sasuke's hand and clasped it around his neck. "Your true memories."

Flashes of intense light spasmed through Sasuke's mind. Countless memories swarmed over him. He saw his life differently — his family lived, Itachi was a police officer, Naruto and Sakura were still his teammates and best friends, but their relationships had been healthier, happier. He'd been light-hearted, carefree, happy. And his love for Sakura was different. She was akin to him as a sister, then later she became his sister-in-law.

"What is this?" Sasuke demanded. He looked at the white cloaked figure, the shadows obscured her features, but he could see a wisp of pink and a flash of jade.

"It is what should have been," Sakura said, her voice barely audible. She reached for him and brushed back his hair gently from his forehead. "You must find peace, Sasuke. Find the happiness that should have been yours."

Power emanated from her words and her touch. The shroud of darkness and grief that had eclipsed Sasuke's spirit since his clan's slaughter began to lift. And his left arm began to tingle near the site of his amputation. The prosthetic crashed to the ground and his arm was once again flesh, blood, and whole.

Sasuke pulled Sakura against him in a two-armed hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You don't need the key, Sasuke. Give it to Lucy. She has a duty to keep. With the necklace you can summon us both and we will come to you," Itachi said.

Sasuke released Sakura and stepped back from her. "He's Reaper. What are you called now?"

"Rebirth, my animal is the dove, where as his is the crow," Sakura explained.

"Should I tell Naruto?" Sasuke asked. "He deserves to know."

"It will do him no good," Itachi said. "You needed to know, Sasuke. We could offer you peace with the necklace, but we have no consolation for any others."

"I understand," Sasuke said. He touched the necklace, comforted by the steel and leather. "After the funeral, I plan to leave the village again. I was going to continue on solo reconnaissance, but I suppose now I won't be alone."

"You should find your other friends — the ones you used to travel with," Sakura suggested. "There is no need for you to be alone."

"I'll think about it," Sasuke promised. "Kakashi plans to form an alliance with the Fairy Tail Guild."

"Good." Sakura stepped back and bowed once towards Sasuke and then towards Lucy, before she disappeared.

Itachi nodded his head at Sasuke and then Lucy. "We will see you both again."

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* * *

**OoO**

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Four months passed and Lucy and Natsu had returned to Fiore. On the long ride back to their home, Natsu had kissed Lucy and asked her to be his girlfriend. It had been so simple! Lucy had never been happier, nor more content with her lot in life.

Master Makarov was pleased by the new alliance with the powerful shinobi village. Lucy was able to continue to communicate with Naruto through Reaper. She had family once more, even if he was on the other side of the continent.

Lucy had told Natsu everything. At first, he wanted her to summon Sakura so that he could get to know her better, but she'd gently discouraged the idea. Rebirth was a new spirit and she didn't want to tax her.

There was a knock on her apartment door. Lucy glanced at her mirror and fluffed her sunny curls once more before she hurried to answer the door. She opened it and smiled at Natsu. He wore an elegant suit and held out a bouquet of dark red roses.

His dark eyes roved over her appreciatively, taking in her garnet silk gown with a slit up to her thigh and generous neckline. "You look amazing, Lucy," he whispered in awe.

Lucy smiled nervously. She wasn't used to compliments from Natsu. Usually, the only time he was emotional with her was when one or the other of them was severely injured. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "You know, we don't have to go out."

Lucy stepped back for every step Natsu came towards her. His eyes glittered with want and it made her both excited and nervous. "But, we're both dressed so nicely."

Natsu licked his bottom lip.

The back of Lucy's knees hit her bed and Natsu was suddenly in front of her, his hands on her hips. He dipped his head down and slanted his lips over hers possessively. Lucy's hands shot up into Natsu's hair, entangling her fingers in his thick locks.

Natsu lifted Lucy up and laid her back on the bed. He began to trail kisses down her chin, throat, and heaving breasts. He growled and then hovered over her face. "You're mine."

Lucy arched her eyebrows and shoved him hard in the chest. "You don't own me, Natsu Dragneel!"

He made a strangled sound. "And I'm yours." He closed his eyes, his breathing labored. "I'm trying to say how I feel."

Lucy's heart pounded. "How do you feel, Natsu?"

"I feel like if something ever happened to you, I'd go insane and burn the whole world down. You're the reason I wake up in the mornings and the I think about you before I go to bed at night. I wonder what it would be like to wake up with you in the mornings and go to bed holding you at night." Natsu leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. "I'm saying that I love you."

Lucy's arms banded around Natsu's neck and she held him close, enjoying the way his strongly muscled torso felt against her curves. "I love you too, Natsu. How about we skip that reservation and enjoy a nice night in?"

Natsu crawled onto the bed and picked Lucy up against him to deposit against the pillows. "I thought you'd never ask."

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_**FIN**_

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* * *

_A/N: This story was a real challenge. I enjoyed my Celtic mythology research and writing about my favorite two anime series. Once shotgunhero stepped aboard to help as beta, I was really able to delve deeper into this world. I struggled with the pairings, I knew the story I wanted to happen, but the romance wasn't something I figured out until halfway through. As my story evolved, it became clear on the direction I needed to take, though I lost some readers due to die-hard pairing enthusiasts. I am grateful to those of you that stuck with me throughout this journey! I hope you enjoyed the twists and turns, you've reached the final destination!_


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